Preparation of ionic liquids microemulsion and its application for the treatment of oily sludge

The surface-active ILs [C16mim]Cl synthesized by combining imidazole group (C4H6N2) and 1-chlorohexadecane (C16H33Cl) was used as surfactant to prepare ILs microemulsions for sludge treatment. Meanwhile, the treatment conditions were optimized and the optimal conditions were obtained. Due to the strong interaction between ILs and asphaltenes as well as the solubilization of microemulsions, the residual oil rate of oily sludge decreased to 1.33%. The characterization of oily sludge was performed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and contact angle measurement. Results showed that [C16mim]Cl ILs microemulsions treatment could effectively promoted the desorption of asphaltenes from the surface of sludge solids, which provided a clear understanding of the mechanism for ILs microemulsions-enhanced oily sludge recovery.