Dongming Qi

Flocculation performance and mechanism of chitosan-based flocculants in the treatment of emulsified oily wastewater

ABSTRACT Chitosan (CS)-based flocculants, denoted as CS-g-PAM and CS-g-PDBC, were successfully prepared via graft copolymerization of CS with acrylamide (AM) or dimethyl acryloyloxyethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (DBC). The grafting was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The flocculation performance of CS-g-PAM and CS-g-PDBC, as well as flocculants such as cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM), polyaluminum chloride (PAC), and CS, was evaluated and compared for treating emulsified oil wastewater. It was found that CS-g-PDBC exhibited excellent flocculation performance under both acidic and neutral conditions, while CS showed better flocculation ability under alkaline condition. The flocculation mechanism of CS and CS-g-PDBC was investigated via zeta potential measurements. Results showed that different flocculation mechanisms were involved at various pH levels. As regarding CS, the flocculation mechanism is mainly charge neutralization, patching, and sweep floc under acidic, neutral, and alkaline conditions, respectively, while for CS-g-PDBC, patching was the dominant mechanism under both acidic and neutral conditions. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Size regulation and prediction of the SiO2 nanoparticles prepared via Stöber process

ABSTRACT In this study, monodispersed SiO2 nanoparticles with controllable size ranging from 20 to 100 nm have been successfully prepared by using a Stöber sol-gel process. The particle size, distribution, and morphology were examined by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In order to accurately regulate the particle size, the effects of various reaction parameters on the particle size and morphology of SiO2 nanoparticles were systematically investigated. It was found that, to some extent, the SiO2 particle size increased linearly with the increase of ammonia or water content, as well as the decrease of reaction temperature, while nearly kept constant with the increase of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). Based upon the results, an empirical formula has been developed to model/predict the particle size of the SiO2 nanoparticles over a wide range of various reaction conditions. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

A facile method for emulsified oil-water separation by using polyethylenimine-coated magnetic nanoparticles

AbstractOil spills and oily wastewater discharges from ships and industrial activities have serious impacts on the environment and human health. In this study, a class of easy-to-synthesize polyethylenimine (PEI)-coated Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) was successfully synthesized via a one-step coprecipitation method. The synthesized PEI-coated Fe3O4 MNPs were characterized by using multiple technologies and applied in emulsified oil-water separation for the first time. It was found that the PEI effectively tuned the surface charge and wettability of MNPs. As a result, the PEI-coated MNPs could successfully assemble at the oil-water interface and promote the coalescence of oil droplets, thereby facilitating the subsequent magnetic separation. Results showed that the oil-water separation performance was superior and enhanced with the increase of ionic strength. Recycling experiment indicated that the PEI-coated MNPs could be reused up to six times without showing a significant decrease in separation efficiency. All of these results suggested that the PEI-coated MNP could potentially be used as a class of promising nanomaterials for emulsified oil-water separation. Graphical abstractSchematic illustration of the emulsified oil-water separation process by using PEI-coated Fe3O4 MNPs.

Effect of hydrophobic monomer on the aqueous dispersion polymerization of acrylamide with quaternary ammonium cationic monomer

Aqueous dispersion polymerization has been considered as a promising green technology for preparing water-soluble polymers such as cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM). Dispersion copolymerization of acrylamide and 2-methylacryloylxyethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride was generally carried out in aqueous ammonium sulfate solution with poly(2-methylacryloylxyethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride) as the stabilizer. In this study, we reported the potential influence of a small amount of hydrophobic monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA), on the above-mentioned aqueous dispersion polymerization system. It was found that MMA could play an important role in the polymerization process by significantly affecting the particle formation and stabilization, as well as the viscosity evolution of the reaction mixture during polymerization. With the addition of a small amount of MMA, the particle formation was accelerated and the viscosity of the polymerization system decreased significantly. With the increase in MMA addition, the final copolymer particle size was reduced and its size distribution became narrower; meanwhile, the particle morphology tended to be spherical. Moreover, it was found that the addition of MMA could favor the production of CPAM with high charge density. The flocculation performance of the resulting CPAM dispersion was also examined in detail and it was found that the introduction of MMA unit into CPAM molecular chain could improve its flocculation efficiency.

One-Step Synthesis of Polyethylenimine-Coated Magnetic Nanoparticles and its Demulsification Performance in Surfactant-Stabilized Oil-in-Water Emulsion

Abstract In this study, polyethylenimine (PEI)-coated Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were successfully synthesized via a one-step, solvo-thermal method. The synthetic PEI-coated MNPs were characterized by using multiple techniques and their demulsification efficiencies were evaluated in surfactant-stabilized, oil-in-water emulsions. The results showed that the synthesized MNPs successfully adsorbed to the emulsion’s O/W interfaces and, consequently, the oil droplets could be rapidly destabilized under an applied magnetic field. It was found that the demulsification efficiency was enhanced with the increased particle dosage. The opposite effect was found with the increase in pH value and surfactant concentration. The presence of electrolytes facilitated oil removal, presumably by reduction of the electrostatic repulsion or by altering the hydrophobicity of the MNPs. Recovery experiments at various pH levels indicated that the PEI-coated MNPs could be reused for up to ten times without significant reduction in demulsification efficiency. Altogether, the results suggested that the PEI-coated MNPs could provide a simple but powerful tool to remove emulsified oil from aqueous systems. Graphical Abstract