Molecular dynamics approach to interfacial manipulation and dehydration enhancement of crude oil emulsions: a case study on plasma pre-treatment.

ABSTRACT: The current efficiency of crude oil dehydration is significantly influenced by the strength and stability of the oil-water interfacial film. To break through this bottleneck, this study first combined plasma pre-treatment with an electric field for the synergistic dehydration of crude oil emulsions. Experimental results indicated that plasma pre-treatment generated oxygen-containing derivatives, which significantly weakened the interfacial film, reducing interfacial tension by up to 43% and improving dehydration efficiency by 66.7%. Furthermore, combined with molecular dynamics simulations, we provided unprecedented mechanistic insights into the microscopic process. The simulations revealed that the oxygen-containing derivatives preferentially adsorb at the oil-water interface, reducing th

SUBMITTER: Song C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12624851 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature