PURPOSE To evaluate the tamponade effect on the retina of a heavier-than-water silicone oil mixture and to compare it with the effect of silicone oil. METHODS Prospective, non-randomised, comparative pilot study. Phakic/pseudophakic patients with retinal detachment undergoing vitrectomy with Densiron 68 or silicone oil were recruited. The 'separation volume', defined as the relative volume of...

Nonionic surfactant-stabilised oil-in-water emulsions offer a potentially useful vehicle for transporting heavy crude oils from oilfields to refineries or distribution terminals. Prior to refining, separation of the oil from the emulsion is necessary. Previous studies have suggested that heating the emulsion is sufficient for destabilisation and recovery of the oil. The present work examines th...

Controlled surface wettability for oil has been intensively studied to remove industrial oil waste or oil spill pollution from seas or rivers. In particular, external stimuli-induced special wetting materials, such as photo-responsive TiO2, have attracted considerable attention for oil-water separation. In this study, a novel method is reported to fabricate a nano-sponge which is composed of hy...

A novel free-standing and flexible electrospun carbon-silica composite nanofibrous membrane is newly introduced. The characterization results suggest that the electrospun composite nanofibers are constructed by carbon chains interpenetrated through a linear network of 3-dimensional SiO2. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates that the presence of insulating silica further improve the thermal resi...

A simple and fast method to prepare robust superhydrophobic octadecylphosphonic acid (ODPA) coating on oxidized copper mesh for self-cleaning and oil/water separation is reported here. The substrate of the copper mesh was first oxidized by simple immersion in an aqueous solution of 1.0 M NaOH and 0.05 M K2S2O8 at room temperature for 30 min, which was then covered with micro- and nanoscale Cu(O...

The separation process is a fundamental part of all hydrocarbon production. The main objectives for operators is to produce oil free from gas and water, remove all liquids from gas, and discharge produced water without disturbing the environment. The processes involved are in a state of considerable change, under pressures of all kinds: technological, environmental and economic. As a result mod...

Essential oil analysis has basically had one technical goal: to achieve the best possible separation performance by using the most effective, available technology of the day. The result achieved from this may then be used to answer the research or industrial analysis questions which necessitated the analysis. This may be for comparative purposes, where one oil is contrasted with other(s) for qu...

Previous work has shown that when aqueous dispersions of normal corn starch are jet-cooked under excess steam conditions, the properties of the final product depend on the manner in which the cooked dispersion is cooled. Phase separation of the component molecules of starch alters the final properties, and the extent of phase separation depends on the cooling conditions. Both irregular, amorpho...

A moisturizing cream mixed with a steroid ointment is frequently prescribed to patients suffering from atopic dermatitis. However, there is a concern that the mixing operation causes destabilization. The present study was performed to investigate the stability of such preparations closely using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). As sample preparations, five commercial moisturizing creams that ar...