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Experimental Design Procedure for Optimization of Saponin Extraction from Glycyrrhiza glabra: A Biosurfactant for Emulsification of Heavy Crude Oil

  • Reza Hajimohammadi , Morteza Hosseini , Hossein Amani and Ghasem Najafpour Darzi
Published/Copyright: December 9, 2017
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Tenside Surfactants Detergents
From the journal Tenside Surfactants Detergents Volume 54 Issue 4

Abstract

In petroleum industries, an emulsification process is often necessary to transfer and upgrade heavy crude oil. Saponins are the main group of biosurfactants used for this purpose and they are often extracted from plants. In this study, saponin was extracted from Glycyrrhiza glabra using a soxhlet method. The aim of present study was to optimize the effective parameters in production of saponin in order to obtain the maximum emulsification index (E24) and optimum mean droplet size by Taguchi method. The evaluated parameters include extraction temperature, first solvent volume fraction, second solvent volume fraction and n-butanol volume fraction. Response parameters resulted in yield, cost and E24 of produced saponin. The obtained results showed that temperature and n-butanol volume fraction were the most effective factors in the extraction process. Optimum operation condition including yield, cost and E24 were (3.6 ± 0.1) g/200 g of plant material, (3.4 ± 0.14) $/g and (98 ± 5) %, respectively. The mean droplet size of water in oil (W/O) emulsion was (35 ± 6) μm using dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis. The results of present research could reduce the cost of saponin production for the applications in oil industries.

Kurzfassung

In der Erdölindustrie ist oftmals ein Emulgierprozess erforderlich, um schweres Rohöl aufzubereiten. Saponine sind die wichtigste Gruppe der hierfür verwendeten Biotenside und werden oft aus Pflanzen extrahiert. In dieser Studie wurde Saponin aus Glycyrrhiza glabra mit der Soxhlet-Methode extrahiert. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie war es, die effektiven Parameter bei der Produktion von Saponin zu optimieren, um den maximalen Emulgierungsindex (E24) und die optimale mittlere Tröpfchengröße nach der Taguchi-Methode zu erhalten. Die ausgewerteten Parameter sind: Extraktionstemperatur, erste Lösungsmittelvolumenfraktion, zweite Lösungsmittelvolumenfraktion und der n-Butanol-Volumenanteil. Die Responseparameter führten zu Ertrag, Kosten und E24 des produzierten Saponins. Die erhaltenen Ergebnisse zeigten, dass die Temperatur- und n-Butanol-Volumenfraktion die effektivsten Faktoren des Extraktionsverfahrens waren. Die optimalen Betriebsbedingungen, nämlich Ausbeute, Kosten und E24-Index waren (3,6 ± 0,1) g/200 g Pflanzenmaterial, (3,4 ± 0,14) $/g bzw. (98 ± 5) %. Die mittlere Tröpfchengröße von Wasser in Öl-(W/O)-Emulsion wurde bestimmt aus der Messungen der der dynamischen Lichtstreuung (DLS) und betrug (35 ± 6) μm. Die Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Untersuchung könnten die Kosten der Saponinproduktion für die Anwendungen in der Ölindustrie reduzieren.

Key words: Biosurfactant; emulsification; heavy oil; saponin; taguchi method
Stichwörter: Biotenside; Emulgierung; Schweres Rohöl; Saponin; Taguchi-Methode
*Correspondence address, Prof. Morteza Hosseini, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, Babol, Iran, E-Mail:

Reza Hajimohammadi received B. Sc. and M. Sc. degrees in Chemical Engineering from Sahand University of Technology (Tabriz) in 2004 and 2009, respectively. Now, he is a Ph. D. student in Chemical Engineering at the Babol Noshirvani University of Technology. His research is mainly involved in biosurfactant production and application of biosurfactants in petroleum industries.

Morteza Hosseini is an Associate Professor at the Babol Noshirvani University of Technology. He completed his Ph. D. in the Faculty of Engineering, Technology. University of Graz, Austria. His research interests are in biotechnology, colloidal particles in food and drug delivery, waste water treatment, and air pollution control.

Hossein Amani is an assistant professor at the Babol Noshirvani University of Technology. He received his Ph. D. from the University of Tehran, Iran. He has published several research articles about oil recovery using biosurfactants. His research interests includes, biosurfactants, oil recovery, and cell biology research.

Ghasem D. Najafpour is a professor in Chemical Engineering and Chairman of the Biotechnology Research Center, Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, Iran. He is an former scholar of the University of Arkansas, USA with a strong background in biological processes. He is deeply involved in research and teaching in biochemical engineering subjects and he has conducted many practical researches in enzyme technology, fermentation processes, biodiesel, biofuel, biosurfactant, wastewater treatment, and biochemical engineering.

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Received: 2016-12-19
Accepted: 2017-04-04
Published Online: 2017-12-09
Published in Print: 2017-07-14

© 2017, Carl Hanser Publisher, Munich

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  2. Contents
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  4. Consumers' Comprehension of the EU Energy Label for Washing Machines
  5. Effect of Washing Conditions on Cleaning Action of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate in Hard Water
  6. Biosurfactants/Novel Surfactants
  7. Surface Activity Study of Water-Soluble Silk Fibroin Prepared using Cocoons and Ca(NO3)2 · 4H2O
  8. Experimental Design Procedure for Optimization of Saponin Extraction from Glycyrrhiza glabra: A Biosurfactant for Emulsification of Heavy Crude Oil
  9. Studies on Emulsification Properties of Glycolipids Biosurfactants
  10. Synthesis and Characterization of Saturated Cardanol Sulfonate Salt Gemini Surfactant
  11. Physical Chemistry
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  15. Application
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  17. Short Communication
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https://doi.org/10.3139/113.110506
Keywords for this article
Biosurfactant; emulsification; heavy oil; saponin; taguchi method

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Contents/Inhalt
  2. Contents
  3. Detergent/Cleaning
  4. Consumers' Comprehension of the EU Energy Label for Washing Machines
  5. Effect of Washing Conditions on Cleaning Action of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate in Hard Water
  6. Biosurfactants/Novel Surfactants
  7. Surface Activity Study of Water-Soluble Silk Fibroin Prepared using Cocoons and Ca(NO3)2 · 4H2O
  8. Experimental Design Procedure for Optimization of Saponin Extraction from Glycyrrhiza glabra: A Biosurfactant for Emulsification of Heavy Crude Oil
  9. Studies on Emulsification Properties of Glycolipids Biosurfactants
  10. Synthesis and Characterization of Saturated Cardanol Sulfonate Salt Gemini Surfactant
  11. Physical Chemistry
  12. Effect of Surface Dilatational Modulus on Foam Flow in a Porous Medium
  13. Oil-Water Interfacial Tensions of Silica Nanoparticle-Surfactant Formulations
  14. Interactions of Cationic, Anionic and Nonionic Surfactants with Cresol Red Dye in Aqueous Solutions: Conductometric, Tensiometric, and Spectroscopic Studies
  15. Application
  16. Physicochemical Properties of Amino Acid Surfactants and Their Use in Dyeing with Natural Plant Dyes
  17. Short Communication
  18. Demulsification of Water-in-Heavy Crude Oil Emulsion using Amphiphilic Ammonium Salts as Demulsifiers
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