PolyHIPE: Water/Oil Separation, Material Characterization, Design

This report investigates the use of PolyHIPE (high internal phase emulsion) for water/oil separation. The study involves three stages: emulsification, polymerization, and functionalization. During the emulsification stage, a mixture of monomer, crosslinker, and surfactant forms the continuous phase, while distilled water, initiator, and stabilizer constitute the dispersed phase. The resulting HIPE is then polymerized. The functionalization stage includes sulphonation to alter the surface properties of the PolyHIPE. Material characterization, including XRD, SEM, and FTIR spectroscopy, is performed. Additionally, the report covers the preparation of a stable water-in-oil emulsion and the design and construction of an electrostatic separator. The separation process is evaluated through various trials to determine the efficiency of PolyHIPE in removing water and surface-active materials from the emulsion.

Water/ Oil separation using PolyHIPE
Keywords: polyHIPE, emulsion, polymerisation, electrostatic,
absorption
Abstract
In this study, the water will be separated and the surface-active
materials will be removed from the high stable water-in–oil
emulsions by using the superimposition of a high porous
polymeric material (polyHIPE) as demulsifier absorber with
electrostatic separation field to further enhance efficiency.
Two kinds of high porous polymers will be prepared through
three stages, such as emulsification stage, polymerisation stage
and functionalisation stage. In emulsion stage the external phase
(continuous phase) which is a mixture of monomer, crosslinker
and surfactant will be made by adding all these components into
the reactor with mixing and then the dispersed phase (aqueous
phase) which consist of distilled water, initiator and stabilizer
will be added with continuous mixing. After that, the emulsion
(HIPE) which is produced in the first stage will be set in an oven
with fixed temperature and time to produce PolyHIPE by
polymerisation process. Through the functionalisation PolyHIPE
polymer stage, the sulphonation process will be used to alter the
(PHP) surface from hydrophobic to hydrophilic, which allows
fast absorption of the water.
Through the period of preparing the PolyHIPEs the material
characterisation tests such as composition, phase distribution
and morphology (including determination of the surface area
and pore size) should be take place for all samples by using
these equipment’s XRD, SEM, FTIR spectroscopy or others. In
addition, this study will include preparing the water-in-oil
emulsion and it must be stable for about month under room
temperature before use it in an electrostatic field. Moreover,
designing and construction of an electrostatic separator, many of
separation trials and process evaluation will be done.