• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.26-33
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• 2015

Batch experiments were performed to investigate the feasibility of a surfactant-enhanced soil washing process for soils heavily contaminated with crude oil in Kuwait. TPH concentration of the contaminated soil was 223,754 mg/kg, sampled from the bottom of a vaporized oil extraction pond in the Burgan reservoir field. Commercialized eight nonionic surfactants (Tween and Tergitol series) were used to measure the aqueous solubility for the crude oil. Among them, two Tergitol surfactants were used to evaluate the TPH removal efficiency of the surfactant-enhanced soil washing for heavily contaminated Kuwait soil. The solubility of the crude oil in surfactant solution was in the order Tergitol 15-S-7 > Tergitol 15-S-9 > Tergitol 15-S-12 > Tween-80 > Tween-20 > Tween-60, which showed that the crude oil solubilities of the Tergitol series were higher than those of the Tween series. The TPH removal efficiencies of 2% and 5% Tergitol 15-S-9 solution were 59% and 65%, respectively. Because the residual TPH concentration in the washed soil was still higher than the clean-up level (10,000 mg/kg), the soil washing process was repeated five times. After the fifth washing, the residual TPH concentration in the soil went down to 7,680 mg/kg and its removal efficiency was 97%.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.363-375
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• 2019

Micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) is a surfactant-based separation technique and has been investigated for the removal of heavy metals from wastewater. The performance of heavy metals removal from wastewater through MEUF relies on membrane characteristics, surfactant properties, various operational parameters including operating pressure, surfactant and heavy metal concentration, pH of the solution, temperature, and presence of dissolved solutes and salts. This study presents an overview of literature related to MEUF with respect to the all significant parameters including membranes, surfactants, operating conditions and MEUF hybrid processes. Moreover, this study illustrates that MEUF is an adaptable technique in various applications. Nowadays water contamination caused by heavy metals has become a serious concern around the globe. MEUF is a significant separation technique in wastewater treatment that should be acknowledged, for the reason that removal of heavy metals contamination even at lower concentrations becomes achievable, which is evidently made known in the presented review. Hybrid processes presented the better results as compared to MEUF. Future studies are required to continue the experimental work with various combinations of surfactant and heavy metals, and to investigate for the treatment of concentrated solutions, as well as for real industrial wastewater.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.716-719
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• 2001

The mobilization and biodegradation of phenanthrene in soil was enhanced by using paraffin oil, which was stabilized by the addition of a surfactant (Brji 30). The ratio of paraffin oil/Brij 30 was determined by measuring the change in the critical micelle concentration. When only surfactant was used, the stabilized paraffin oil emulsion could dissolve more phenanthrene in the water phase. Column experiment showed increased phenanthrene mobilization from the contaminated soil. The phenanthrene mobilized in the paraffine oil/Brij 30 emulsion was biodegraded faster than that in water phase or surfactant solution. This result indicates that a paraffin oil/surfactant system can be effectively used for the removal of PAH from contaminated soil.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.1-11
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• 2008

Phenanthrene uptake by surfactant sorbed on activated carbon was investigated to recycle of surfactant in washed solution for contaminated soil. The partitioning of phenanthrene to the activated carbon coating with Triton X-100 as a surfactant was also evaluated by a mathematical model. Phenanthrene-contaminated soil (200 mg/kg) was washed in 10 g/L of surfactant solution. Washed phenanthrene in solution was separated by various particle loadings of granular activated carbon through a mode of selective adsorption. Removal of phenanthrene was 99.3%, and surfactant recovery was 88.9% by 2.5 g/L of granular activated carbon, respectively. Phenanthrene uptake by activated carbon was greater than that of phenanthrene calculated by a standard model for a system with one partitioning component. This is accounted for enhanced surface solubilization by hemi-micelles adsorbed onto granular activated carbon. The effectiveness factor is greater than 1 and molar ratio of solubilization to sorbed surfactant is higher than that of liquid surfactant. Results suggest that separation of contaminants and surfactants by activated carbon through washing process in soil is much effective than that of calculated in a theoretical model.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.296-301
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• 1995

For studying the role of acetone and surfactant in solution, and selecting the best surfactant for spray solution in herbicide screening, the solubilizability of 6 nonionic surfactant-acetone aqueous solutions to 18 herbicide technicals, their foliar wettability and phytotoxicity to soybean and rice plant were tested and evaluated. The solubilizability of surfactant-acetone aqueous solutions to herbicide technicals was dependent on the acetone content of solutions, and was less affected by nonionic surfactant. Foliar wettability of the surfactant solutions was good to soybean, but only polyoxyethylene lauryl ether HLB 13.6(LE-13.6) solution showed good wettability to rice plant within the concentration range of no phytotoxicity. Tween 20(0.1%), LE-13.6(0.01%) and polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether HLB 16.0(0.01%) solutions didn't induce phytotoxicity to soybean, and most of the surfactant solutions didn't induce phytotoxicity to rice plant. There was no surfactant that showed superior emulsifiability to various herbicide technicals, good foliar wettability to plants, and no phytotoxicity, but LE-13.6 was better than others.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.479-485
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• 2009

In this study, basic physical properties were measured for ASCO EQ85 cationic surfactant of triethanolamine-ester quaternary ammonium salt and effect of pH on softening performance on fabrics was investigated using zeta potential measurement and adsorption experiment by quartz crystal microbalance. The CMC of the surfactant was near $3{\times}10^{-3}mol/L$ and the surface tension at CMC was about 40 mN/m. The interfacial tension measurement between 1 wt% aqueous solution and n-dodecane measured by spinning drop tensiometer showed that interfacial tension slightly increased with an increase in pH but the equilibration time was not affected by pH. The surfactant adsorption was found to increase with an increase in surfactant concentration and was also affected by pH of surfactant solution. The friction factor for fabrics treated with ASCO EQ85 surfactant was shown to increase with pH and better softening effect was found under acidic conditions. Half-life for foams generated with ASCO EQ85 surfactant solution increased with pH, which indicated an increase in foam stability with pH.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.161-166
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• 2001

While the equilibrium behaviour of surfactant solution is well studied, the understanding of the kinetics and pathways of structural transition under nonequilibrium conditions is only begining to develop. Attention has recently been directed mainly towards micellar kinectics, transitions between micellar and lamellar phases, vesicle fusion, and phases separation in microemulsions. This progress has profited greatly from developments that have taken place in various techniques and instruments.

• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.223-228
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• 2011

The performance characteristics of centrifugal pump were measured experimentally when running with tap water and drag-reducing surfactant (Octadecyl dimethyl amine oxide (OB-8)) solutions. Tests have been performed on five cases of surfactant solutions with different concentrations (0ppm (tap water), 200ppm, 500ppm, 900ppm and 1500ppm) and four different rotating speeds of pump (1500rpm, 2000rpm, 2500rpm and 2900rpm). Compared with tap water case, the experimental results show that the total pump heads for surfactant solution cases are higher. And the pump efficiency with surfactant solutions also increases, but the shaft power for surfactant solutions cases decreases compared to t hat for tap water. There exists an optimal temperature for surfactant solutions, which maximizes the pump efficiency.

• Proceedings of the SCSK Conference
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• 2003.09b
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• pp.369-369
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• 2003

Viscarin is a tradename given to viscosifying carrageenans manufactured by FMC BioPolymer. The suitability of Vis car ins as rheology agents in mild cleansing applications has been investigated. Rheological properties, foam volume and clarity were measured to determine the impact of including 1 % Viscarin on 10% solutions of the following surfactants: acylglutamate, cocoamidopropyl betaine, PEG-80 laurate, sodium lauryl sulphate and sodium lauryol sarcosinate. Viscosity, pseudoplasticity and thixotropy of Viscarin/surfactant solutions varied with surfactant type. In all cases, the addition of Viscarin substantially increased viscosity. For example, at a shear rate of 1 sol, all surfactant solutions had viscosities <0.1 Pa s while viscosities of Viscarin/surfactant solutions ranged from 10 to 60 Pa s. By comparison, a solution of 1 % Viscarin had a viscosity of 0.3 Pa s. Clarity of surfactant solutions decreased in all cases on the addition of Viscarin. However, it was found that by including a mild solubilizing surfactant, such as PEG 40 hydrogenated castor oil, crystal clarity could be maintained in Viscarin/surfactant solutions. Viscarin increased the foam volume of sodium lauryolsarcosinate solutions from 10 ml to 220 ml and had no impact on the foam volume of the other surfactants tested. These results were used to formulate a clear, ultra-mild foaming cleansing gel based on sodium lauryol sarcosinate and Viscarin without the need for a secondary, foam-boasting surfactant. A mild shampoo was also formulated. Both products have excellent skin-feel and are capable of suspending bubbles and solid inclusions.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.498-505
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• 2007

This study demonstrated the in-situ functionalization with polymers of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) via emulsion polymerization. Polystyrene-functionalized MWNTs were prepared in an aqueous solution containing styrene monomer, non-ionic surfactant and a cationic coupling agent ([2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trime-thylammonium chloride (MATMAC)). This process produced an interesting morphology in which the MWNTs, consisting of bead-string shapes or MWNTs embedded in the beads, when polymer beads were sufficiently large, produced nanohybrid material. This morphology was attributed to the interaction between the cationic coupling agent and the nanotube surface which induced polymerization within the hemimicellar or hemicylindrical structures of surfactant micelles on the surface of the nanotubes. In a solution containing MATMAC alone without surfactant, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were not well-dispersed, and in a solution containing only surfactant without MATMAC, polymeric beads were synthesized in isolation from CNTs and continued to exist separately. The incorporation of MATMAC and surfactant together enabled large amounts of CNTs (> 0.05 wt%) to be well-dispersed in water and very effectively encapsulated by polymer chains. This method could be applied to other well-dispersed CNT solutions containing amphiphilic molecules, regardless of the type (i.e., anionic, cationic or nonionic). In this way, the solubility and dispersion of nanotubes could be increased in a solvent or polymer matrix. By enhancing the interfacial adhesion, this method might also contribute to the improved dispersion of nanotubes in a polymer matrix and thus the creation of superior polymer nanocomposites.