Effects of Surfactant Characteristics on Fuel Properties of Emulsions of Alternative Engine Fuel through the Phase Inversion Method

Abstract

Emulsions that mix two or more immiscible phases are broadly applied in pharmaceutics, chemistry, and industries. The phase inversion temperature (PIT) method is an emulsifying approach to preparing an emulsion with low energy consumption and cheap equipment. The effects of surfactant characteristics and processes of cooling or heating on the fuel properties of emulsions composed of silicone oil by the emulsifying method, such as mean droplet sizes of the de-ionized water phase, were considered herein. The application of the silicone oil emulsion as engine fuel was first evaluated. The results show that the emulsions added with the polyol surfactant mixture appeared to have a larger mean water-droplet size, a larger number of dispersed water droplets, a wider range of dispersed-water sizes, and lower kinematic viscosity than those with Brij 30 surfactant. Increasing the surfactant concentration of either Tween 20 mixed with Span 80 or Brij 30 surfactant increased kinematic viscosity and the number of dispersed droplets while decreasing mean droplet sizes. After being subjected to fast heating and then fast cooling, the silicone oil emulsion appeared to form many smaller dispersed droplets than those being proceeded with slow cooling. The emulsion of silicone oil was found to have adequate engine fuel properties.