Continuous Separation Process of Water-in-Crude Oil Emulsion by Simultaneous Application of an Electrical Field Combined with a Novel Absorbent Based on Functionalised PolyHIPE Polymer

During the extraction process of crude oil, the removal of water from a high stability water-in-crude oil emulsions is life-threatening for the production of a profitable product. However, several technologies of separation exist today, e.g. stripping columns, centrifugal separators, coalescence separators, vacuum distillation systems and gravity separators, almost all of these approaches are not able to completely remove water from water-in-crude oil emulsions besides their high cost. In this study, the preparation of a high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) was achieved on a laboratory scale. Subsequently, it was polymerized and sulphonated to produce a hydrophilic macroporous polyHIPE polymer (PHP) called silane (vinyl trimethoxy silane) PHP with a relatively high surface area of 104 m 2/g. It demonstrates high water absorption capability in addition to its ability to remove surface active substances such as Mg, Ca, Na and Cl, from crude oil which cause crude oil emulsification. The rates of demulsification of water-in-crude oil emulsions were examined in high AC field under various emulsion inlet flow rates from 100 ml/min to 1500 ml/min and different applied voltages from 1-5 kV (equivalent to 14-69 kV/m) by using a model of an electrostatic separator combined with silane PHP as absorber. It was found that the best separation efficiency was 91% with applied voltage of 5 kV and emulsion inlet flow rate of 100 ml/min. When the spent silane PHP was reused in the demulsification process under similar conditions, a separation efficiency of up to 73% was achieved. Also, it was noticed that the separation efficiency was increased with the increase in applied voltage and reduction in the inlet flow rate of emulsion. Moreover, the original or spent silane PHP were able to remove the undesired metals present in the crude oil. Keywords: Demulsification; Emulsion flow rate; Separation efficiency; Electrostatic Separator; Electric field strength.

Preserving the Cellular Tissue Structure of Maize Pith Though Dry Fractionation Processes: A Key Point to Use as Insulating Agro-Materials

Plant biomass has various compositions and structures at different scales (from the component organs to their constitutive tissues) to support its functional properties. Recovering each part of the plant without damaging its structure poses a challenge to preserving its original properties for differential dedicated end uses, and considerably increases its added value. In this work, an original combination of grinding based on shearing stress and separation based on particle size and density was successfully used to sort rind (65% w/w) and pith (35% w/w) from maize stem internodes. More than 97% of the rind was isolated. The pith alveolar structure was well preserved in coarse particles, making them suitable for insulation bio-based composite materials, a promising alternative to conventional nonbiodegradable insulation panels. Boards produced from the dry fractionated pith exhibited thermal conductivities like those produced from hand dissected pith, with values equal to 0.037 W·mK−1 and 0.039 W·mK−1, respectively. In the finest fraction (particle size <1 mm), the pith vascular bundles (around 300–400 µm in diameter) were dissociated from parenchyma cells and successfully isolated using a cutting-edge electrostatic separator. Their structures, which provide the plant structural support, make them potentially valuable for reinforcement in composite materials.

Simulation of Corona Electrostatic Separator for End-of-Life Management in Printed Circuit Boards

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are made of several materials, including platinum, gold, silver, and rare earth elements, which are very valuable from a circular economy perspective. The PCB end of life management starts with the component removal, then the PCBs are shredded into small particles. Eventually, different separation methods are applied to the pulverized material to separate metals and non-metals. The corona electrostatic separation is one of the methods that can be used for this purpose since it is able to separate the conductive and non-conductive materials. However, the lack of knowledge to set the process parameters may affect the efficiency of the corona electrostatic separation process, ultimately resulting in the loss of valuable materials. The simulation of particle trajectory can be very helpful to identify the effective process parameters of the separation process. Thus, in this study, a simulation model to predict the particles trajectories in a belt type corona electrostatic separator is developed with the help of COMSOL Multiphysics and MATLAB software. The model simulates the particle behavior taking into account the electrostatic, gravitational, centrifugal, electric image, and air drag forces. Moreover, the predicted particles trajectories are used to analyze the effects of the roll electrode voltage, angular velocity of roll electrode, and size of the particles on the separation process.

Tribo-Electrostatic Separation Analysis of a Beneficial Solution in the Recycling of Mixed Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) and High-Density Polyethylene

The aim of this study was to investigate and analyze the impact of selected parameters during the tribocharging process of shredded poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and high-density polyethylene (PE-HD) plastics on accumulated electric charge and electrostatic separation effectiveness. The accumulation of electric charge on surfaces of polymer particles as a result of their circular motion forced by the airflow cyclone container was investigated. The impact of the container material, time of tribocharging and the airflow intensity were experimentally examined. A container in which the particles of the considered polymers are electrified with opposite charges was selected. A high ability to accumulate surface charge on small particles of both polymers was demonstrated. The electrified mixed PET/PE-HD was subjected to a separation process. An electrostatic separator designed and constructed by the authors was used for to the separation. In turn, to assess the effectiveness of this separation, a dedicated vision system was used. Based on the result of the carried out tests, it has been assumed that the proposed approach’s effectiveness has been demonstrated by means of empirical validation.

Deformation and Stress Analysis of the Electrostatic Separator Flat Screen in the SolidWorks Program

Рассмотрена проблема напряжённо-деформированного состояния решета электростатического сепаратора при ударной нагрузке с различными уровнями интенсивности импульса столкновения с применением метода конечных элементов. Проводилось изучение поперечного воздействия тела в виде точки массы или конечного тела на листовые структуры следующего типа: решето; решето, усиленное рёбрами; решето с повреждениями. Для решения обозначенной задачи использовался метод конечных элементов (FEM) в форме смещения. Этот метод был реализован в программном комплексе SolidWorks с приложением Simulation. Исследования были проведены для динамических нагрузок с материалами решёт: нержавеющая сталь и стеклотекстолит. Оценка результатов проводилась путём анализа эпюр напряжений и деформации модели. Проведённые расчёты показали, что учёт размеров ударного тела приводит к уменьшению значений деформации и эквивалентных напряжений. Для повышения эффективности системы очистки плоских решёт в электростатическом сепараторе в качестве материала решета можно применять как нержавеющую сталь, так и стеклотекстолит. The problem of stress-strain state of electrostatic separator screen at impact load with different levels of collision pulse intensity using finite element method is considered. The transverse effect of the body in the form of a point of mass or a final body on sheet structures of the following type was studied: screen, screen reinforced by ribs, screen with faults. To solve the designated problem, the finite element method (FEM) in the form of displacement was used. This method was implemented in the software complex SolidWorks with the Simulation application. Researches were conducted for dynamic loads with screen materials: stainless steel and fiber-glass plastic. Evaluation of the results was carried out by analyzing the stress and strain diagrams of the model. The conducted calculations have shown that taking into account the dimensions of the impact body leads to a decrease in deformation values and equivalent stresses. To increase the efficiency of the flat screen cleaning system in an electrostatic separator, both stainless steel and glass textile can be used as a screen material.