A review of the interfacial stability mechanism of aging oily sludge: Heavy components, inorganic particles, and their synergism

Jia Liu; Yixuan Zhang; Kaiming Peng; Xia Zhao; Yuan Xiong; Xiangfeng Huang

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125624

A review of the interfacial stability mechanism of aging oily sludge: Heavy components, inorganic particles, and their synergism

J Hazard Mater. 2021 Aug 5:415:125624. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125624. Epub 2021 Mar 10.

Authors

Jia Liu¹, Yixuan Zhang¹, Kaiming Peng¹, Xia Zhao¹, Yuan Xiong¹, Xiangfeng Huang²

Affiliations

¹ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
² College of Environmental Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China. Electronic address: hxf@tongji.edu.cn.

PMID: 33740725
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125624

Abstract

Oily sludge is widely produced in the processes of petroleum exploitation, storage, transportation, and refining, and becomes more stable during aging. The interfacial stability of aging oily sludge hinders the recovery and disposal of oil resources. This review summarizes the interfacial film stability of aging oily sludge, which occurs through the formation of viscoelastic and rigid bilayer interfacial films between heavy components (asphaltenes and resins) and inorganic particles. The bilayer interfacial films enhance interfacial film strength and hinder the aggregation of droplets, contributing to the formation of a stable and high-viscosity oil-water-solid three-phase mixture. Recent demulsification technologies for reducing the stability of interfacial films have been classified as follows: removing heavy components, changing asphaltene aggregate structure, and reducing inorganic particle content. More efficient demulsification technologies are expected to be developed by deeply analyzing the microstructure and interfacial properties of asphaltenes and resins, as well as comprehensively studying the complex interactions among various components. This review constructs a bridge between the stability mechanism and the corresponding destabilization methods, which would promote future studies in aging oily sludge treatment.

Keywords: Asphaltenes; Demulsification; Resins; Solids; Synergistic interactions.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't