A device and method for dispersing oil on water comprises a rig structure for being mounted in a vessel, the rig structure including a front transverse structure with at least one nozzle for flushing with pressurized water supplied from a pressure facility located on the vessel.

A method for validating a homogenizing valve (1), comprising the steps of: —preparing an emulsion having a hydrophilic phase comprising, in weight percentage on the total weight: from 55% to 74% demineralized water, from 10% to 20% glycerin and from 3% to 4,2% butylene glycol, and a lipophilic phase comprising, in weight percentage on the total weight: from 5.1% to 5.9% squalane, from 7.2% to 8.8% caprylic acid alkyl ester and from 0.665% to 0.735% cetyl alcohol; —subjecting the emulsion to forced passage within the homogenizing valve (1) from a high pressure zone (HP) to a low pressure zone (LP) a plurality of times.

A process for producing a microemulsion or nanoemulsion comprising water and at least one hydrocarbon or oil, comprising the steps of: a) providing the hydrocarbon or oil, water, one or more additives, a solvent, and a hydrophilic surfactant formulation comprising an amine or amide derivative non-ionic surfactant which is a fatty acid alkanolamide, one or more ethoxylated alcohols and/or ethoxylated alkylphenols, and a non-ionic fatty acid ester; b) by a mixing or stirring device operating at a mixing or stirring speed in the range 100 rpm and 15000 rpm, mixing or stirring the hydrophilic surfactant formulation and additive into the solvent, to produce a hydrophilic self-emulsifying blend; c) adding water to the hydrophilic self-emulsifying blend and the hydrocarbon or oil to produce a water-in-hydrocarbon/oil microemulsion or nanoemulsion, wherein the microemulsion or nanoemulsion comprises: 46% or more by mass of the hydrocarbon or oil, 4% to 36% by mass of water, a mass ratio of hydrophilic surfactant formulation to water in the range 1:10 to 1:2, 0.1% to 5% by mass of additive, 1.2% or more by mass of the solvent, a dispersed particle size in the range 1 nm to 500 nm, and a polydispersity index of 35% PdI or less, wherein the percentages by mass of the hydrocarbon or oil, water, formulation, additive and solvent together add up to 100%.

A non-linear surfactant, and particularly a non-linear surfactant comprising bi-functionalized molecules or particles having both hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups. The non-linear surfactant includes a nanoparticle template of a rigid molecular structure, wherein the nanoparticle comprises a molecule or a particle that is bi-functionalized with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups to obtain an amphiphilic nanoparticle. The template nanoparticle can be used as a surfactant, wetting agent, emulsifier, detergent or other surface active agents or for the preparation of nanoemulsions or dispersions. The non-linear surfactant can provide smaller particle sizes for emulsion suspensions and foams.

An apparatus for converting heavy hydrocarbons to light hydrocarbons includes an inlet capable of supplying a pre-foaming mixture comprising a hydrocarbon to be processed and a processing gas, wherein the processing gas is dissolved in the hydrocarbon to be processed; a foam generator configured to receive the pre-foaming mixture at a first pressure, compress the pre-foaming mixture to a second pressure that is higher than the first pressure by routing it through a nozzle; and generate a foam by allowing the pre-foaming mixture at the second pressure to expand in a chamber at a third pressure that is lower than the first or second pressures; a plasma reactor, wherein the plasma reactor is capable of receiving the foam and comprises at least one pair of spark gap electrodes capable of subjecting the foam to a plasma discharge to yield a processed mixture; and an outlet capable of receiving the processed mixture.

The invention provides dispersed inorganic mixed metal oxide pigment compositions in a hydrocarbon media utilizing a dispersant having polyisobutylene succinic anhydride structure reacted with a non-polymeric amino ether/alcohol to disperse a mixed metal oxide pigment in the media. The metal oxide pigment is of the type used to color ceramic or glass articles. A milling process using beads is also described to reduce the mixed metal oxide particle size to the desired range. A method of using the mixed metal oxide dispersion to digitally print an image on a ceramic or glass article using the dispersion jetted through a nozzle and subsequently firing the colored article is also described.

The use of long-chain phosphoric acid esters as additives in aqueous polymer dispersions for production of porous polymer coatings, preferably for production of porous polyurethane coatings, is described.

Water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion compositions having freeze-thaw stability are provided which include water, at least one hydrocarbon solvent, at least one nonionic emulsifier, and at least one freeze-thaw stabilizer which either prevents breaking of the emulsion after a freeze-thaw cycle or enables the emulsion to be re-formed following breaking after a freeze-thaw cycle by simple shaking of the emulsion composition. Preferred freeze-thaw stabilizers are polyols (e.g., glycerin), sugars (e.g., sucrose), polar aprotic solvents (e.g., dimethyl sulfoxide) and amphoteric compounds (e.g., lauryl dimethyl amine oxide). The freeze-thaw stabilizers are particularly useful in furniture care, shoe care and auto care cleaning and/or polishing products including therein water, hydrocarbon solvent(s), nonionic emulsifier(s) and additives, such as film former(s), surfactant(s), fragrance component(s) and preservative(s).

A non-linear surfactant, and particularly a non-linear surfactant comprising bi-functionalized molecules or particles having both hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups. The non-linear surfactant includes a nanoparticle template of a rigid molecular structure, wherein the nanoparticle comprises a molecule or a particle that is bi-functionalized with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups to obtain an amphiphilic nanoparticle. The template nanoparticle can be used as a surfactant, wetting agent, emulsifier, detergent or other surface active agents or for the preparation of nanoemulsions or dispersions. The non-linear surfactant can provide smaller particle sizes for emulsion suspensions and foams.

The present invention generally relates to compositions and methods for forming droplets and/or emulsions. In some embodiments, the compositions and methods comprise two or more components miscible at a first temperature and immiscible at a second temperature, dispersed in an outer phase.