Open Access

ARTICLE

Synthesis and Interfacial Properties of Bio-Based Zwitterionic Surfactants Derived from Different Fatty Acids in Non-Edible Vegetable Oils

Hongze Gang^1,2, Qiqi Zhang¹, Wei Wang¹, Bangxin Cai¹, Jinfeng Liu^1,2, Shizhong Yang^1,2, Bozhong Mu^1,2,*

1 State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
2 Engineering Research Center MEOR-MOE, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China

* Corresponding Author: Bozhong Mu. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Renewable materials for sustainable development)

Journal of Renewable Materials 2020, 8(4), 417-429. https://doi.org/10.32604/jrm.2020.09201

Received 21 November 2019; Accepted 13 February 2020; Issue published 24 April 2020

Abstract

Waste cooking oils and non-edible vegetable oils are abundant and renewable resources for bio-based materials which have showed great potential applications in many industries. In this study, five fatty acids commonly found in non-edible vegetable oils, including palmitic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, ricinoleic acid, and their mixtures, were used to produce bio-based zwitterionic surfactants through a facile and high-yield chemical modification. These surfactants demonstrated excellent surface/interfacial properties with the minimum surface tensions ranging from 28.4 mN/m to 32.8 mN/m in aqueous solutions. The interfacial tensions between crude oil and surfactant solutions were remarkably reduced to lower values ranging from 0.0028 mN/m to 0.1983 mN/m without the aid of extra alkali, which particularly implied a great potential application in enhanced oil recovery. Meanwhile, these bio-based surfactants also showed good wetting properties (contact angles of ~ 51° comparing with that of double distilled water, 92.04°) and appropriate predicted biodegradability (degradation order of “weeks” for bio-based surfactants synthesized from saturated fatty acids, and “months” for those synthesized from unsaturated fatty acids). Bio-based surfactants synthesized from unsaturated fatty acids showed better interfacial properties in reducing interfacial tension between crude oil and formation water. The bio-based surfactants presented in this study are alternative substitutes for traditional petroleum-based surfactants in various surfactant application fields.

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