| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 209509 | Fuel Processing Technology | 2015 | 5 Pages |
•Solubility enhancement of tar compounds using SDS in water was studied.•SDS significantly improved aqueous solubility of tar compounds.•Solubility of tar compounds correlated linearly with SDS concentration.•Solubility of tar compounds reduced as the solvent temperature increased.
The overall goal of this study was to improve the solubility of tar compounds in water using a surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The solubility experiments were performed using 100-ml media bottles. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, styrene, and p-xylene were used as model tar compounds because these compounds are sparingly soluble in water. The solubility of tar compounds was measured using UV/VIS spectrophotometer. Statistical analysis showed that solubilities of tar compounds improved significantly (p < 0.0001) using SDS above the critical micelle concentration. Experimental results showed that the solubility of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, styrene and p-xylene increased 4 to 14, 9 to 33, 19 to 69, 18 to 83 and 29 to 135 fold, respectively, as SDS concentration increased from 0, i.e., water as control to 15, 30, 45 and 60 g/L at solvent temperature of 20 °C. Results also showed that solubilities of benzene, toluene and ethylbenzene decreased as the solvent temperature increased.
