Characteristic evolution and energy variation during the generation of kerosene droplet
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abstract
Understanding the generation behavior of kerosene droplets is an important precursor for predicting the kerosene-mineral adsorption. Using a high-speed motion acquisition system, we investigated the thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics of kerosene droplet with different size capillaries. As the capillary inner diameter increased, the formation time of the kerosene droplet become longer, and the width/height value decreased. The width/height value of the kerosene column roughly increased as the capillary inner diameter decreased due to the variation in the buoyancy, gravity and surface tension. The kinetic energy per unit superficial area (E-k/S) of the kerosene droplet firstly decreased sharply as the capillary inner diameter increased and then remained almost constant. The energy barrier on the kaolinite, quartz, montmorillonite and coal surfaces was found easy to be overcome by E-k/S independently of capillary inner diameter, and the energy barrier on the mica surface could be overcome if the capillary inner diameter was smaller than 0.50 mm. A predictive model of the formation condition of deuterogenic kerosene droplet was established, and the critical capillary inner diameter for forming a deuterogenic kerosene droplet was predicted to be approximately 0.29 mm. This aspect of kerosene droplet characteristics has not been well represented in the earlier literature. The results can provide valuable insight into the development of technology for surfactant adsorption and mineral flotation.
