Synthesis of MRGO nanocomposites as a potential photocatalytic demulsifier for crude oil-in-water emulsion

Abstract

Oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion has been a major concern for the petroleum industry. A cost-effective magnetite-reduced graphene oxide (MRGO) nanocomposite was synthesized to study the demulsification process of emulsion using said nanocomposite under solar illumination. Characterization data show that the magnetite was successfully deposited on reduced graphene oxide through redox reaction at varying loading amounts of magnetite. Demulsification of the O/W emulsion using MRGO nanocomposite shows that in general the demulsification efficiency was dependent on the loading amount of Fe3 O4 on the RGO sheet. It was proposed that the surfactant hydroxyl groups have an affinity towards Fe3 O4, which the loading amount was directly proportionate to available active site in Fe3 O4. As the loading amount increases, charge recombination centers on the RGO sheet would increase, effectively affecting the charge distribution within MRGO structure.