A flow system for electrochemical separation and detection of ions was constructed by connecting two oil/water (O/W)-type flow cells, in which a long polarizable O/W interface was formed at the inner surface of a porous poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) tube. Using this system, acetylcholine and choline ions, whose ion-transfer potentials are different by only 60 mV, could be separated and deter...

Thousands of chemically distinct compounds are encountered in fossil oil samples that require rapid screening and accurate identification. In the present paper, we show for the first time, the advantages of gas chromatography (GC) separation in combination with atmospheric-pressure laser ionization (APLI) and ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-I...

In this paper, we present a facile and cost-effective method to obtain superhydrophobic filter paper and demonstrate its application for efficient water/oil separation. By coupling structurally distinct organosilane precursors (e.g., octadecyltrichlorosilane and methyltrichlorosilane) to paper fibers under controlled reaction conditions, we have formulated a simple, inexpensive, and efficient p...

This study deals with the fabrication of biodegradable porous materials from bacterial polyester, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (P3HB3HHx), via thermally induced phase separation. P3HB3HHx monoliths with topological porous structure were prepared by dissolution of P3HB3HHx in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) at 85 ̋C and subsequent quenching. The microstructure of the resulting P3HB3HH...

The rapid increase of palm oil (PO) production in the last 20 years has made it the most important oil in the world. By year 2007, the annual global production of PO reached 40 million metric tons. Currently, Malaysia accounts for almost 50% of world palm oil production. As most of natural oils, PO has only a limited application in their original form, as a consequence of its complex chemical c...

Designing an aircraft without conventional control surfaces is of interest to aerospace community. In this direction, smart actuator devices such as synthetic jets have been proposed to provide aircraft maneuverability instead of control surfaces. In this article, a numerical study is performed to investigate the effects of unsteady suction and blowing oil airfoils. The unsteady suction and blo...

Using both living and glutaraldehyde-fixed red cells, we have examined adhesion to both oil/saline and glass/saline interfaces by interference reflection microscopy. At low ionic strength, 0.4 mM NaCl, fixed cells adherent to the oil/saline interface show first order whitish yellow zones of closest approach which indicate a separation of similar to or approximately 100 nm. Quantitative interfer...

This work investigates the structural formation and analyses of titania membranes (TM) prepared using different vacuum exposure times for molecular weight (MW) cut-off performance and oil/water separation. Titania membranes were synthesized via a sol-gel method and coated on macroporous alumina tubes followed by exposure to a vacuum between 30 and 1200 s and then calcined at 400 °C. X-ray diffr...

Widespread use of petrochemicals often leads to accidental releases in aquatic environments, occasionally with disastrous results. Recent advances in the understanding of selectively wetting surfaces have led to the development of functionalized steel meshes with hydrophobic and oleophilic surfaces. These meshes can perform oil/water separation in situ, continuously, via capillary action. The g...

Light oil/water/heavy oil triphase mixtures are common in industrial wastewater, while nearly all separation materials with superwettability can only separate biphase of light oil/water or/and heavy oil/water. Here, a balsa wood slice superhydrophilic/superoleophilic property air was fabricated by blade-cutting and ethanol-treating process. Therefore, the could be dually prewetted both water th...