Preparation and Characterization of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and Its Application in Produced Water Treatment and Oil Recovery

Abstract

Recently, considerable amounts of oil were produced from petroleum industries and lead to serious environmental problems. In this study, Fe3O4 (MNPs) were prepared using combustion synthesis method at temperature range from 150 to 350ºC and then applied with different concentrations to the oil/water emulsion. The synthesized MNPs were characterized using various analytical techniques, and their demulsification efficiencies were then evaluated. Results showed that the application of these nanoparticles could significantly improve the efficiency of the demulsification process, Furthermore the prepared MNPs were still effective after being recycled for 4 cycles and give oil removal about 90%.