Upgrading of Heavy Crude Oil Using Rhamnolipid Biosurfactant Produced from Pseudomonas Aeroginosa ATCC28793

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, Babol, Iran

Abstract

Using of Biosurfactants instead of chemical surfactants in oil industry is important in terms of environmental impact. Rhamnolipids is one of the effective Biosurfactants for reducing the viscosity of heavy crude oil and consequently for increasing the API gravity of heavy oil. In this research, Rhamnolipid Biosurfactant was produced from Pseudomonas aeroginosa ATCC28793 and was characterized using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and FTIR spectroscopy. The obtained results from production of water in oil(W/O) emulsions showed that initial viscosity and API gravity of the heavy oil reached from 2360 mPa.s and 18 to 930 mPa.s and 28, respectively. In addition, emulsification index (E24) was found to be %98 in the Rhamnolipid concentration of %8 w/v. During the experiment, it was observed that the emulsions were stable in the pH range of 8 to 14, temperature from 30 to 90˚C and for salinity up to %8 w/v of NaCl solution. The average diameter of W/O droplets which was evaluated by dynamic light scattering (DLS) showed that the average water droplets were in the range of 50-70 µm. The obtained results from the present research reveal that the produced Rhamnolipid has significant ability for reduction of viscosity and increase in  the API gravity of heavy oil; therefore, it can be suitable alternative method instead of synthetic and chemical surfactants in petroleum and oil industry and environmental applications.
 

Keywords

Main Subjects


[1]. Liley J. R., Penfold R. K., Thomas I. M., Tucker J. T., Petkov P. S., Stevenson I. M., Banat I. M., Marchant R., Rudden M., Terry A. and Grillo I. l., “Self-assembly in dilute mixtures of non-ionic and anionic surfactants and rhamnolipd biosurfactants,” Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Vol. 1, No. 487, pp. 493-503, 2017. ##
[2]. Sachdev D. P. and Swaranjit S. C., “Biosurfactants in agriculture,” Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Vol. 97, No. 3, pp. 1005-1016, 2013.##
[3]. Shoeb E., Faiza A., Uzma B., Jameela A. and Samina I., “Classification and industrial applications of biosurfactants,” Academic Research International, Vol. 4, No. 3, p. 243, 2013.##
[4]. Paniagua-Michel J. and Alberto R., “Marine ذioremediation-A sustainable biotechnology of petroleum hydrocarbons biodegradation in coastal and marine environments,” Journal of Bioremediation & Biodegradation, Vol. 6, No. 273, pp. 347-359, 2015.##
[5]. Kosaric N. and Sukan F. V., “Biosurfactants: production and utilization—processes, technologies, and economics,” CRC Press, Vol. 159, No.3, pp. 234-245, 2014.##
[6]. Mukherjee S., Palashpriya D. and Ramkrishna S., “Towards commercial production of microbial surfactants,” Trends in Biotechnology, Vol. 24, No. 11, pp. 509-515, 2006.##
[7]. Radzuan M. N., Ibrahim M. B. and James W., “Production and characterization of rhamnolipid using palm oil agricultural refinery waste,” Bioresource Technology, Vol. 4, No. 225, pp. 99-105, 2017.##
[8]. Mawgoud A., Mohammad A., Lépine F. and Déziel E., “Rhamnolipids: diversity of structures, microbial origins and roles,” Applied Microbiology and Bbiotechnology, Vol. 86, No. 5, pp. 1323-1336, 2010.##
[9]. Lozano D. C., Jorge A ., Rafael C. H., Jáder E. G. and Enrique M. O., “APPI (+)-FTICR mass spectrometry coupled to partial least squares with genetic algorithm variable selection for prediction of API gravity and CCR of crude oil and vacuum residues,” Fuel, Vol.1, No. 193, pp. 39-44, 2017.##
[10]. Sattarina M., Modarresi H., Bayata  M. and Teymoria M., “New viscosity correlations for dead crude oils,” Petroleum & Coal, Vol. 2, No. 49, pp. 33-39, 2007.##
[11]. Martínez P., Rafael M., Beatriz Z., Elizabeth M., César B., Juan L. and Jorge A., “Transportation of heavy and extra-heavy crude oil by pipeline: A review,” Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, Vol. 75, No. 3, pp. 274-282, 2011.##
[12]. Li S., Dolanimi O., Tiegang F., Julie. and Orlando J., “Carboxymethylated lignins with low surface tension toward low viscosity and highly stable emulsions of crude bitumen and refined oils,” Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Vol. 5, No. 482, pp. 27-38, 2016.##
[13]. Saien J. and Mahdis B., “Understanding the effect of different size silica nanoparticles and SDS surfactant mixtures on interfacial tension of n-hexane–water,” Journal of Molecular Liquids, Vol. 2, No. 224, pp. 158-164, 2016.##
[14]. Morsy A. and Salwa M. I., “Role of surfactants in nanotechnology and their applications,” Int. J. Curr. Microbiol. App. Sci, Vol. 3, No. 5, pp. 237-260, 2014.##
[15]. Nayak A. S., Vijaykumar M. H. and Karegoudar T. B., “Characterization of biosurfactant produced by Pseudoxanthomonas sp. PNK-04 and its application in bioremediation,” International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, Vol. 63, No. 1, pp. 3-79, 2009.##
[16]. Soberón C., Gloria  F. and Déziel E., “Production of rhamnolipids by pseudomonas aeruginosa,” Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Vol. 68, No. 6, pp. 718-725, 2005.##
[17]. Reddy K., Sathi M., Yahya K. K., Archana  M. G. and Bee H., “Utilization of mango kernel oil for the rhamnolipid production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa DR1 towards its application as biocontrol agent,” Bioresource Technology, Vol. 5, No. 221, pp. 291-299, 2016.##
[18]. Azizollah E., Najmeh T. and Sharareh L., “Isolation of biosurfactant producing bacteria from oily skin areas of small animals,” Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology, Vol. 12, No. 12, pp. 401-404, 2012.##
[19]. Ophus K., “Removal of hydrocarbons from particulate solids,” US patent., (US 20130062258 A1), 2014.
[20]. Rahman P. K., Pasirayi G., Auger V. and Ali Z., “Production of rhamnolipid biosurfactants by Pseudomonas aeruginosa DS10129 in a microfluidic bioreactor,” Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry, Vol. 55, No. 1, pp. 45-52, 2010.##
[21]. Rikalović M. G., Gojgić G., Vrvić M. M. and Karadžić I., “Production and characterization of rhamnolipids from Pseudomonas aeruginosa san-ai,” J. Serb. Chem. Soc., Vol. 77, No. 1, pp. 27-42, 2012.##
[22]. Lan G., Fan Q., Liu Y., Chen C., Li G., Liu Y., and Yin X., “Rhamnolipid production from waste cooking oil using Pseudomonas SWP-4,” Biochemical Engineering Journal, Vol. 101, No. 1, pp. 44-54, 2015.##
[23]. Tadros T. F., “Emulsion formation and stability,” (book), John Wiley & Sons Publication, pp. 34-42, 2013.##
[24]. Beletskaya I. P., Alexander N. K., Irina A. K., and Alexey R. K., “Efficient and recyclable catalyst of palladium nanoparticles stabilized by polymer micelles soluble in water for Suzuki-Miyaura reaction, Ostwald ripening process with palladium nanoparticles,” Synlett, Vol. 3, No. 10, pp. 1547-1552, 2008.##