Industry/University Cooperative Research: Adsorption of     Modified Surfactants from Aqueous Solution
{'Code': '07020000', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'ENG', 'LongName': 'Directorate For Engineering'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'CBET', 'LongName': 'Div Of Chem, Bioeng, Env, & Transp Sys'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Jeffrey Foltz', 'PO_EMAI': 'jfoltz@nsf.gov', 'PO_PHON': '7032924231'}
RESEARCH SUMMARY:  Adsorption of surfactants from aqueous                       solution is an important but complex phenomenon due to the                      influence of factors including surfactant structure (functional                 groups, chain length, branching), solid mineralogy and                          morphological heterogeneity and solution properties.  Absorption                (loss) of surfactants is investigated here by studying their                    interactions with minerals, dissolved mineral species, polymers,                oils and alcohols.  In order to understand the absorption                       phenomenon, in the previous grant, other key properties such as                 zeta potential, wettability, CMC, mineral dissolution and                       surfactant chromatographic separation were monitored.  It was                   shown that when soluble and semisoluble solids are present, there               will be not only alterations of the solids due to surface                       precipitaiton but also depletion of surfactants due to bulk                     precipitation.  A major process responsible for surfactant loss                 has been identified to be, in addition to electrostatic and                     hemimicellar absorption, surfactant precipitation particularly in               solutions containing metal ions.  It appears now that surfactants               can be suitably modified to tolerate such hostile environments.                 Particular emphasis is being placed on ethoxylated surfactants                  since they can be manipulated to yield desired interfacial                      tension and salt tolerance.  The PI has already obtained total                  inhibition of precipitaton with certain ethoxylated sulfonates in               gypsum containing substrates which are normally very hostile to                 sulfonates.  The role of structural modifications such as                       ethoxylation is not fully understood, but can be studied using a                combination of techniques.  It is the aim of the proposed work to               investigate (using absorption, electrokinetic, chromatographic                  and spectroscopic techniques).  The mechanisms by which                         structural modifications affect absorption/precipitation and to                 identify the reasons for the selective/preferential absorption or               synergism observed in mixed systems of the above surfactants.                                                                                                   UNIQUENESS AND INNOVATION:  In contrast to other work on                        absorption, this research includes also the effects on                          absorption of dissolution of the solid and interaction of the                   dissolved species with the surfactant leading to complexation and               even precipitation.  Solids invariably dissolve and the dissolved               species often govern the entire absorption (abstraction) behavior               and yet these effects have been ignored in the past.  In this                   research, the effect of dissolved species is being quantitatively               determined and the absorption/desorption phenomenon and                         hysteresis phenomenon explained.
{'FirstName': 'Ponisseril', 'LastName': 'Somasundaran', 'PI_MID_INIT': None, 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'Ponisseril Somasundaran', 'EmailAddress': 'ps24@columbia.edu', 'NSF_ID': '000470977', 'StartDate': '01/01/1987', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
{'Name': 'Columbia University', 'CityName': 'NEW YORK', 'ZipCode': '100277922', 'PhoneNumber': '2128546851', 'StreetAddress': '615 W 131ST ST', 'StreetAddress2': 'MC 8741', 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'New York', 'StateCode': 'NY', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '13', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_ORG': 'NY13', 'ORG_UEI_NUM': 'F4N1QNPB95M4', 'ORG_LGL_BUS_NAME': 'THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK', 'ORG_PRNT_UEI_NUM': None}
{'Name': None, 'CityName': None, 'StateCode': None, 'ZipCode': None, 'StreetAddress': None, 'CountryCode': None, 'CountryName': None, 'StateName': None, 'CountryFlag': None, 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': None, 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_PERF': '""'}
{'Code': '1414', 'Text': 'INTERFAC PROCESSES & THERMODYN'}
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1986&All=true', 'xml': '8615524.xml'}