1. Objective
• To characterize the emulsification of crude oil and water caused
by modified sophorolipids
Why is crude oil important?
• Naturally occurring mixture of hydrocarbons with varying
compositions and many important uses (fuels vehicles, drives
machinery, generates heat)
What are sophorolipids and why are they interesting?
• Bio surfactants that are produced efficiently through
fermentation from sugar and natural fatty acids hence natural,
green, and eco-friendly
How can we safely measure emulsification?
• Small scale testing of emulsions with crude oil, water and
modified sophorolipids. Particular emphasis on particle size for
tracking stability.
Some of the oil dispersants currently used on the market to clean
up oil spills have proven to be even more toxic to marine life and
animals on the shore than the original oil spill.
Materials and
Methods
Materials: Distilled water,
Crude Oils: Arabian and
Prudhoe Bay
Modified Sophorolipids:
Ethyl-, Hexyl-,
Decyl Ester Sophorolipid
Methods:
• Sophorolipids were dissolved in water at 45oC.
• Aqueous solution was homogenized with a shear
homogenizer at 14,000 rpm for 5 min.
• Emulsions were allowed to age for 1 week at 25oC.
• Emulsions’ appearance and mean particle size
were measured after 1 week.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
0.05wt% 0.1wt% 0.5wt% 0.05wt% 0.1wt% 0.5wt% 0.05wt% 0.1wt% 0.5wt%
VolumetricMeanParticleSize(µm)
Surfactant Concentration (wt% by total emulsion)
Modified Sophorolipid Used
Arabian Crude Oil Emulsification
Results Continued
Conclusions
• Modified Sophorolipds were able to emulsify Crude Oil
• Arabian Crude Oil’s low volumetric mean particle size shows the
efficiency of the surfactant and its ability to aid in the clean up of
oil spills
• Emulsifying Prudhoe Bay oil with modified sophorolipids is not
as effective as Arabian oil because of its higher volumetric mean
particle size
• Higher viscosity of crude oil may cause it to be tougher to
homogenize resulting in worse emulsions
Resources
"Antimicrobial Technology."SYNTHEZYME’S FUNGICIDES AND ANTIMICROBIALS. SyntheZyme
LLC. Web. 2 Dec. 2014.
"Dispersant Chart." Wonkroom: Think Progress. 16 June 2010. Web. 2 Dec. 2014.
"Oil Can Do More." Crude Oil Is the Most Important Raw Material of the Industrialized Nat -
Wintershall Holding GmbH. Web. 2 Dec. 2014.
https://sites.google.com/a/opensailing.net/protei/news/untitledpost
Acknowledgments
Thank you to Amanda Koh for teaching me all of the techniques
needed to collect this data as well as Dr. Richard Gross for giving
me access to his laboratory equipment and the materials needed.
Results
Emulsification of Crude Oil with Modified Sophorolipids
Saving one Duck at a Time
Weronika Jakubowska, Amanda Koh, and Dr. Richard Gross
Ethyl Ester
Sophorolipid
Hexyl Ester
Sophorolipid
Decyl Ester
Sophorolipid
0
30
60
90
120
150
180
0.05wt% 0.1wt% 0.5wt% 0.05wt% 0.1wt% 0.5wt% 0.05wt% 0.1wt% 0.5wt%
VolumetricMeanParticleSize(µm)
Surfactant Concentration (wt% by total emulsion)
Modified Sophorolipid Used
Prudhoe Bay Crude Oil Emulsification
Hexyl Ester
Sophorolipid
Decyl Ester
Sophorolipid
Ethyl Ester
Sophorolipid
Crude
Oil
Type
Modified
Sophorolipid
Type
Volumetric Mean
Particle Size Avg.
(microns)
Arabian Ethyl 20
Arabian Hexyl 14
Arabian Decyl 11
Prudhoe Bay Ethyl 108
Prudhoe Bay Hexyl 66
Prudhoe Bay Decyl 51
Progressively more opaque emulsion is seen
as the concentration of Hexyl Ester
Sophorolipid increases with little to no
precipitation. This shows the success of the
emulsion of Prudhoe Bay Crude Oil.
0.5 wt % Ethyl Ester
Sophorolipid + Prudhoe Bay
Crude Oil
Ethyl Ester Sophorolipid,
with the shortest
hydrophobic carbon chain,
shows precipitation after
emulsification, which may
destabilize emulsion
droplets.
Corexit 9500’s spreads quickly through the ocean at a rate of
2.5 million gallons per day which is represented by the slope.
Dates during the BP Oil Spill Crisis of 2010
Sophorolipid Structure
GallonsofCorexit
All emulsions were 25 wt.% oil , 0.05-0.5 wt.%
surfactant and balance of water.
"Dispersant Chart." Wonkroom: Think Progress. 16 June 2010. Web. 2 Dec. 2014