Effects of Fatty Alcohols with Different Chain Lengths on the Performance of Low pH Biomass-Based Foams for Radioactive Decontamination
Compared with polymers and nanoparticles, fatty alcohols can not only increase the stability of foam, but also maintain better foamability at pH < 2, which is beneficial to reduce waste liquid and increase decontamination efficiency for radioactive surface pollution. However, different fatty alco...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Molecules |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/19/6627 |
| _version_ | 1797477849229164544 |
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| author | Hao Zhang Lili Liang Hailing Xi Datong Liu Zhanguo Li Xiaoyan Lin |
| author_facet | Hao Zhang Lili Liang Hailing Xi Datong Liu Zhanguo Li Xiaoyan Lin |
| author_sort | Hao Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Compared with polymers and nanoparticles, fatty alcohols can not only increase the stability of foam, but also maintain better foamability at pH < 2, which is beneficial to reduce waste liquid and increase decontamination efficiency for radioactive surface pollution. However, different fatty alcohols have different hydrophobic chain lengths. The effects of fatty alcohols with different chain lengths on the performance of decontamination foam were studied at pH < 2, to assist in the selection of suitable fatty alcohols as foam stabilizers. Combined with betaine surfactant and phytic acid, biomass-based foams were synthesized using fatty alcohols with different chain lengths. When the hydrophobic tail groups of the fatty alcohol and the surfactant were the same, the foam showed the best performance, including the lowest surface tension, the highest liquid film strength, the greatest sag-resistance and the best stability. However, when the hydrophobic tail groups were different, the space between adjacent surface active molecules was increased by thermal motion of the excess terminal tail segments (a tail-wagging effect), and the adsorption density reduced on the gas-liquid interface, leading to increased surface tension and decreased liquid film strength, sag-resistance and stability. The use of decontamination foam stabilized by fatty alcohols with the same hydrophobic group as the surfactant was found to increase the decontamination rate of radioactive uranium pollution from 64 to over 90% on a vertical surface. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:23:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4d3b06c9b4df441b89ad57aa49a23cf0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1420-3049 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:23:35Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Molecules |
| spelling | doaj.art-4d3b06c9b4df441b89ad57aa49a23cf02023-11-23T21:14:31ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492022-10-012719662710.3390/molecules27196627Effects of Fatty Alcohols with Different Chain Lengths on the Performance of Low pH Biomass-Based Foams for Radioactive DecontaminationHao Zhang0Lili Liang1Hailing Xi2Datong Liu3Zhanguo Li4Xiaoyan Lin5Engineering Research Center of Biomass Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Biomass Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, ChinaState Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing 102205, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Biomass Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, ChinaState Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing 102205, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Biomass Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, ChinaCompared with polymers and nanoparticles, fatty alcohols can not only increase the stability of foam, but also maintain better foamability at pH < 2, which is beneficial to reduce waste liquid and increase decontamination efficiency for radioactive surface pollution. However, different fatty alcohols have different hydrophobic chain lengths. The effects of fatty alcohols with different chain lengths on the performance of decontamination foam were studied at pH < 2, to assist in the selection of suitable fatty alcohols as foam stabilizers. Combined with betaine surfactant and phytic acid, biomass-based foams were synthesized using fatty alcohols with different chain lengths. When the hydrophobic tail groups of the fatty alcohol and the surfactant were the same, the foam showed the best performance, including the lowest surface tension, the highest liquid film strength, the greatest sag-resistance and the best stability. However, when the hydrophobic tail groups were different, the space between adjacent surface active molecules was increased by thermal motion of the excess terminal tail segments (a tail-wagging effect), and the adsorption density reduced on the gas-liquid interface, leading to increased surface tension and decreased liquid film strength, sag-resistance and stability. The use of decontamination foam stabilized by fatty alcohols with the same hydrophobic group as the surfactant was found to increase the decontamination rate of radioactive uranium pollution from 64 to over 90% on a vertical surface.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/19/6627foam decontaminationradioactive pollutionlow pHchain-length matchingbiomass-based |
| spellingShingle | Hao Zhang Lili Liang Hailing Xi Datong Liu Zhanguo Li Xiaoyan Lin Effects of Fatty Alcohols with Different Chain Lengths on the Performance of Low pH Biomass-Based Foams for Radioactive Decontamination Molecules foam decontamination radioactive pollution low pH chain-length matching biomass-based |
| title | Effects of Fatty Alcohols with Different Chain Lengths on the Performance of Low pH Biomass-Based Foams for Radioactive Decontamination |
| title_full | Effects of Fatty Alcohols with Different Chain Lengths on the Performance of Low pH Biomass-Based Foams for Radioactive Decontamination |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Fatty Alcohols with Different Chain Lengths on the Performance of Low pH Biomass-Based Foams for Radioactive Decontamination |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Fatty Alcohols with Different Chain Lengths on the Performance of Low pH Biomass-Based Foams for Radioactive Decontamination |
| title_short | Effects of Fatty Alcohols with Different Chain Lengths on the Performance of Low pH Biomass-Based Foams for Radioactive Decontamination |
| title_sort | effects of fatty alcohols with different chain lengths on the performance of low ph biomass based foams for radioactive decontamination |
| topic | foam decontamination radioactive pollution low pH chain-length matching biomass-based |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/19/6627 |
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