Academic literature on the topic 'Auto-emulsification'

Surfactants are amphiphilic compounds having hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties in their structure. They can be of synthetic or of microbial origin, obtained respectively from chemical synthesis or from microorganisms’ activity. A new generation of ecofriendly surfactant molecules or biobased surfactants is increasingly growing, attributed to their versatility of applications. Surfactants can be used as drug delivery systems for a range of molecules given their capacity to create micelles which can promote the encapsulation of bioactives of pharmaceutical interest; besides, these assemblies can also show antimicrobial properties. The advantages of biosurfactants include their high biodegradability profile, low risk of toxicity, production from renewable sources, functionality under extreme pH and temperature conditions, and long-term physicochemical stability. The application potential of these types of polymers is related to their properties enabling them to be processed by emulsification, separation, solubilization, surface (interfacial) tension, and adsorption for the production of a range of drug delivery systems. Biosurfactants have been employed as a drug delivery system to improve the bioavailability of a good number of drugs that exhibit low aqueous solubility. The great potential of these molecules is related to their auto assembly and emulsification capacity. Biosurfactants produced from bacteria are of particular interest due to their antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties with therapeutic and biomedical potential. In this review, we discuss recent advances and perspectives of biosurfactants with antimicrobial properties and how they can be used as structures to develop semisolid hydrogels for drug delivery, in environmental bioremediation, in biotechnology for the reduction of production costs and also their ecotoxicological impact as pesticide alternative.

Lipid oxidation in food emulsions is mediated by emulsifiers in the water phase and at the oil–water interface. To unravel the physico-chemical mechanisms and to obtain local lipid and protein oxidation rates, we used confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), thereby monitoring changes in both the fluorescence emission of a lipophilic dye BODIPY 665/676 and protein auto-fluorescence. Our data show that the removal of lipid-soluble antioxidants from mayonnaises promotes lipid oxidation within oil droplets as well as protein oxidation at the oil–water interface. Furthermore, we demonstrate that ascorbic acid acts as either a lipid antioxidant or pro-oxidant depending on the presence of lipid-soluble antioxidants. The effects of antioxidant formulation on local lipid and protein oxidation rates were all statistically significant (p < 0.0001). The observed protein oxidation at the oil–water interface was spatially heterogeneous, which is in line with the heterogeneous distribution of lipoprotein granules from the egg yolk used for emulsification. The impact of the droplet size on local lipid and protein oxidation rates was significant (p < 0.0001) but minor compared to the effects of ascorbic acid addition and lipid-soluble antioxidant depletion. The presented results demonstrate that CLSM can be applied for unraveling the roles of colloidal structure and transport in mediating lipid oxidation in complex food emulsions.

Modular tissue engineering (MTE) is a novel “bottom-up” approach to create engineered biological tissues from microscale repeating units. Our aim was to obtain microtissue constructs, based on polymer microspheres (MSs) populated with cells, which can be further assembled into larger tissue blocks and used in bone MTE. Poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) MS of 165 ± 47 µm in diameter were produced by oil-in-water emulsification and treated with 0.1 M NaOH. To improve cell adhesion, MSs were coated with poly-L-lysine (PLL) or human recombinant collagen type I (COL). The presence of oxygenated functionalities and PLL/COL coating on MS was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). To assess the influence of medium composition on adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation, preosteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured on MS in minimal essential medium (MEM) and osteogenic differentiation medium (OSG). Moreover, to assess the potential osteoblast–osteoclast cross-talk phenomenon and the influence of signaling molecules released by osteoclasts on osteoblast cell culture, a medium obtained from osteoclast culture (OSC) was also used. To impel the cells to adhere and grow on the MS, anti-adhesive cell culture plates were utilized. The results show that MS coated with PLL and COL significantly favor the adhesion and growth of MC3T3-E1 cells on days 1 and 7, respectively, in all experimental conditions tested. On day 7, three-dimensional MS/cell/extracellular matrix constructs were created owing to auto-assembly. The cells grown in such constructs exhibited high activity of early osteogenic differentiation marker, namely, alkaline phosphatase. Superior cell growth on PLL- and COL-coated MS on day 14 was observed in the OSG medium. Interestingly, deposition of extracellular matrix and its mineralization was particularly enhanced on COL-coated MS in OSG medium on day 14. In our study, we developed a method of spontaneous formation of organoid-like MS-based cell/ECM constructs with a few millimeters in size. Such constructs may be regarded as building blocks in bone MTE.

Graphene oxide microcapsules (GOMs) have been prepared through Pickering emulsion method by varying the disperse speed to study its effect on the GOM’s size. The GOMs were characterized through phase separation observation, polarized optical microscope (POM), and particle size analyser (PSA). Phase separation observation showed more viscous and cloudy emulsion was produced when the disperse speed was increased. After 24 hours, only 800 rpm emulsion did not show any phase separation. POM characterization depicted that increasing the emulsification energy led to the finer emulsion with the 1200 rpm sample showing the smallest microcapsule size of around 8 ?m. However, PSA analysis suggested that although the disperse speed controls the GOMs size, the amount of GO in the emulsion plays an important role for the microcapsule to maintain its stability. Emulsion produced at 800 rpm possesses satisfactory stability with GOMs diameter of 11.15 ?m. The result also suggested that graphene oxide encapsulated linseed oil may act as a promising candidate for healing microcapsules in a self-healing coating system. ABSTRAK: Mikrokapsul graphene oksida (GOMs) telah dihasilkan melalui kaedah emulsifikasi Pickering dengan memvariasikan tenaga pengemulsi untuk mengkaji kesannya terhadap saiz GOMs. GOMs dicirikan melalui pemerhatian pemisahan fasa, mikroskop optik polarisasi (POM) dan penganalisis saiz zarah (PSA). Pemerhatian pemisahan fasa menunjukkan emulsi yang lebih likat dan keruh dihasilkan apabila kelajuan pengemulsi meningkat. Selepas 24 jam, hanya emulsi 800 rpm tidak menunjukkan pemisahan fasa. Pencirian POM meunjukkan bahawa peningkatan tenaga pengemulsi menghasilkan emulsi yang lebih halus dengan sampel 1200 rpm menunjukkan saiz mikrokapsul terkecil, sekitar 8 ?m. Walau bagaimanapun, analisis PSA mencadangkan bahawa walaupun kelajuan pengemulsi mengawal saiz GOMs, jumlah GO dalam emulsi memainkan peranan penting untuk mengekalkan kestabilan mikrokapsul. Emulsi yang dihasilkan pada 800 rpm mempunyai kestabilan yang memuaskan dengan purata saiz GOMs sekitar 11.15 ?m. Berdasarkan dapatan kajian, graphene oksida yang terkandung minyak biji rami boleh menjadi salah satu mikrokapsul penyembuh dalam sistem cat auto-sembuh.

As the discovery rate of new hydrocarbon resources decreases, the need for more-efficient enhanced-oil-recovery (EOR) processes increases. Unlike in the past, however, when the efficiency was defined in terms of maximizing the recovery factor (RF), the new interpretation of efficiency is based on optimizing the balance between RF and the reduction of carbon footprint. This is done through an integrated approach in which both surface and subsurface elements of the oil-production systems are used to determine energy efficiency and carbon footprint of a unit volume of oil produced by EOR methods. When choosing traditional EOR methods, new innovations may be needed to arrive at new injectant composition to reduce emissions or make the process more efficient. Adding chemicals to the injectant gas to improve the mobility ratio and increase the sweep efficiency is desirable. One example is the use of hydrogels. These are hydrophilic structures that swell when hydrated. Hydrogels are of interest in EOR because of their ability to respond to stimuli such as pH, temperature, light, and ionic strength. EOR methods that involve use of fresh water are also switching to alternative methods that reduce or remove its usage as part of water sustainability. The produced water could be treated properly to make it suitable for injection. Alternatively, polymers that are effective under high salinity or temperature could be used to deal with injecting saline water. For unconventional reservoirs, waterless fracturing techniques are progressing. Paper SPE 201609 discusses the application of a reversible hydrogel that can be added to the injected carbon dioxide (CO2) stream in order to make it a more-efficient injectant for EOR and, hence, create more opportunity for CO2 storage. Paper SPE 202809 deals with utility of new polymers that are suitable for injection into carbonate reservoirs under high-temperature and ultrahigh-salinity conditions. Finally, paper OTC 30437 discusses ways of mitigating safety risks associated with CO2 waterless fracturing in unconventional reservoirs as part of water sustainability as well as prevention of environmental pollution. Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org. SPE 200357 - Fundamental Investigation of Auto-Emulsification of Water in Crude Oil: An Interfacial Phenomenon and Its Pertinence for Low-Salinity EOR by Duboué Jennifer, TotalEnergies, et al. SPE 205118 - Experimental Design and Evaluation of Surfactant Polymer for a Heavy-Oil Field in South of Sultanate of Oman by Ali Reham Al-Jabri, Petroleum Development of Oman, et al. SPE 200256 - Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery and the Dilemma of More and Cleaner Energy by Rouhi Farajzadeh, Delft University of Technology, et al.

Changes in soil physicochemical properties and bacterial species present in soil contaminated with waste engine oil were evaluated at three auto-mechanical workshops in Uyo, Nigeria. This work was aimed at isolating and identifying hydrocarbon degrading bacteria from waste engine oil polluted soil, and assessing their hydrocarbon-utilizing ability. Waste engine oil pollution affected soils significantly with increases in soil physicochemical properties, and heterotrophic bacterial population counts. Eight bacterial species Corynebacterium kutscheri, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Flavobacterium aquatile, Serratia odorifera, Micrococcus agilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus and Bacillus substilis were isolated by the selective enrichment technique and screened for hydrocarbon utilization capability in mineral salt media with 1% (v/v) waste engine oil as a sole carbon and energy source. The extent of bacterial growth observed was related to the ability of organisms to biodegrade hydrocarbons present in the medium bacterium species, which showed varying hydrocarbon utilization during the 15 days of incubation. Growth in hydrocarbon medium was the most efficient in cultures of Corynebacterium kutscheri. All isolates also showed variable emulsification ability, with Corynebacterium kutscheri, showing the highest ability. These results demonstrate the presence of indigenous bacteria in hydrocarbon-polluted soils and the potential toward the remediation of hydrocarbons.

Depuis 5 ans, l’autoémulsification de l’eau dans les bruts a été reportée sur plusieurs systèmes, et associée une récupération améliorée du pétrole. Nous avons tenté de comprendre quelle était son origine physico-chimique. Nous avons constaté que lorsqu’on mettait en contact du pétrole brut avec de l’eau, il se formait alors des micro-gouttes d’eau dans l’huile pour toutes les huiles lourdes étudiées. Nous avons montré que le phénomène d’émulsification spontanée observé lors du contact de pétrole brut avec de l’eau de faible salinité est un mécanisme doublement osmotique, régit par la double pénétration d’eau et des espèces « osmogènes » (ie espèces générant de la pression osmotique) dans les gouttelettes d’eau. Puis nous avons montré que le phénomène limitant est celui de la diffusion de l’eau dans l’huile et nous proposons une expression pour sa cinétique. En outre, nous avons observé deux phénomènes concomitants lors de l’étude de la récupération en huile à l’échelle microfluidique : récupération additionnelle d’huile et présence de micro-gouttes d’eau. Nous proposons d’expliquer cela par le gonflement des poches d’eau par le phénomène d’émulsification spontanée
Since 5 years, the autoemulsification of water in crude oils has been reported on several systems, and associated with improved oil recovery. We tried to understand what was its physicochemical origin. We found that when we put crude oil in contact with water, micro-droplets of water were formed in the oil for all the crude oils studied. We have shown that the phenomenon of spontaneous emulsification observed during the contact of crude oil with low salinity water is a double osmotic mechanism, governed by the double penetration of water and "osmogeneous" species (ie species generating osmotic pressure) in the water droplets. Then, we showed that the limiting phenomenon is the diffusion of water in the oil and we propose an expression for its kinetics. In addition, we observed two concomitant phenomena during the study of microfluidic scale oil recovery: additional oil recovery and the presence of micro-droplets of water. We propose to explain this by the swelling of the water pockets due to the phenomenon of spontaneous emulsification