Recent research on superoleophobic yet hygroscopic materials has led to the development of new technology for the separation of multi-phase liquid mixtures via preferential coalescence of one phase at solid surfaces with engineered liquid repellence. When integrated into liquid-liquid extraction operations, the coalescence provided by the liquid-repellent surfaces enables the development of a new method for treating fuels. For example, if a kerosene-based hydrocarbon fuel is mixed with an extraction medium (such as an ethanol/water mixture), undesirable compounds such as benzothiophenes will be extracted into the ethanol/water mixture, which may be separated from the fuel by passage through an oleophobic hygroscopic membrane, leaving behind refined fuel. We present initial work on the determination of partition coefficients of benzothiophene in a variety of extraction media and dodecane, diffusion coefficient measurements for determination of needed residence times for extraction, and initial separation results using superoleophobic hygroscopic membranes.

Combined hydrophobic/oleophobic membrane separation and extraction for fuel treatment

249th National Meeting (2015)

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