Phase Behavior of Bicontinuous and Water/Diesel Fuel Microemulsions Using Nonionic Surfactants Combined with Hydrophilic Alcohol Ethoxylates

Abstract

Bicontinuous and water-in-diesel microemulsions were formulated using single nonionic alkyl poly glycol ethers combined with hydrophilic alcohol ethoxylates. The phase behavior at temperatures ranging from 0°C to 50°C was investigated. Visual inspection as well as cross-polarizers were used to detect anisotropy. The fish phase diagrams were determined. The presence of the hydrophilic alcohol ethoxylates was necessary to initiate both types of microemulsions. Increasing the hydrophobic chain length of the surfactant led to a wider range of temperature stability at lower surfactant concentration. Meanwhile, increasing the ethylene oxide units in the headgroup by two units led to a phase diagram that is dominated by lyotropic liquid crystal. The formulated water in diesel microemulsions were tested experimentally in a 4-cylinder diesel engine. From this it is observed that the emissions of NO_x, soot, and CO₂ were reduced substantially compared to neat diesel, while for the CO the reduction occurs just at low load.

Keywords:

• Alternative fuel
• diesel
• emissions
• microemulsion
• phase behavior

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Corrigendum

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to thank Paul Filler, Sasol North America, Inc. for kindly providing us with the Alfonic surfactant samples. This work was supported by the Swedish Research Council.

Notes

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