Abstract
The surface-active ILs [C16mim]Cl synthesized by combining imidazole group (C4H6N2) and 1-chlorohexadecane (C16H33Cl) was used as surfactant to prepare ILs microemulsions for sludge treatment. Meanwhile, the treatment conditions were optimized and the optimal conditions were obtained. Due to the strong interaction between ILs and asphaltenes as well as the solubilization of microemulsions, the residual oil rate of oily sludge decreased to 1.33%. The characterization of oily sludge was performed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and contact angle measurement. Results showed that [C16mim]Cl ILs microemulsions treatment could effectively promoted the desorption of asphaltenes from the surface of sludge solids, which provided a clear understanding of the mechanism for ILs microemulsions-enhanced oily sludge recovery.
Graphical Abstract
Oil in Water (O/W) microemulsions prepared using ionic liquids [C16mim]Cl as surfactants were used to the treatment of oily sludge with high removal oil rate (97.97%) and low residual oil rate (1.33%). Based on the strong interaction between [C16mim]Cl and asphaltenes as well as the solubilization effect of microemulsions, the use of ionic liquids microemulsions improves the effect of sludge treatment and realizes the effective recovery of crude oil, which has potential applications in the field of energy recovery and environmental protection.
Acknowledgements
We are thankful for the financial support from National Natural Science Foundation Young Investigator Grant Program, China (Project no. 21706148), Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, China (Project nos. ZR2019MEM010, ZR2020MD108, ZR2021MB139), and Hubei Jingmen Science and Technology Planning Project (Project No. 2021YFZD030).
Disclosure statement
No potential competing interest was reported by the authors.