title: Effect of microbial treatment on the prevention and removal of paraffin deposits on stainless steel surfaces.
abstract: In this study, biosurfactant-producing strain N2 and non-biosurfactant producing stain KB18 were used to investigate the effects of microbial treatment on the prevention and removal of paraffin deposits on stainless steel surfaces. Strain N2, with a biosurfactant production capacity, reduced the contact angle of stainless steel to 40.04°, and the corresponding adhesion work of aqueous phase was decreased by 26.5 mJ/m(2). By contrast, KB18 could only reduce the contact angle to 50.83°, with a corresponding 7.6 mJ/m(2) decrease in the aqueous phase work adhesion. The paraffin removal test showed that the paraffin removal efficiencies of strain N2 and KB18 were 79.0% and 61.2%, respectively. Interestingly, the N2 cells could attach on the surface of the oil droplets to inhibit droplets coalescence. These results indicate that biosurfactant-producing strains can alter the wettability of stainless steel and thus eliminate paraffin deposition.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, PR China.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Wen-Hong
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Mang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Zhong-Zhi
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yi-Jing
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: Shan-Shan
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Wei-Zhang
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D010232:Paraffin; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000502:physiology*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013193:Stainless Steel; D013500:Surface Tension
chemical_list: D013193:Stainless Steel; D010232:Paraffin