Eco-Friendly Surfactants Based on Fatty Acids and Monoethanolamine for Efficient Oil Spill Remediation.

ABSTRACT: Environmental concerns surrounding the use of toxic chemical dispersants in oil spill remediation have prompted the development of safer, more sustainable alternatives. Surfactants derived from fatty acids offer advantages such as low toxicity, biocompatibility, and cost-effectiveness. In this study, two novel surfactants based on monoethanolamine/lauric acid (MEA-LA) and monoethanolamine/oleic acid (MEA-OA) were evaluated for their potential in oil spill cleanup applications. To this end, measurements of surface tension, emulsification index, crude oil dispersion, and motor oil removal from sand were conducted. MEA-LA and MEA-OA reduced surface tension to 21.7 ± 0.03 mN/m and 25.2 ± 0.00 mN/m, with CMC values of 8.5 and 1.2 mmol/L, respectively. Emulsification assays revealed stable emuls

SUBMITTER: Ribeiro SF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12509018 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature