FLASHING OF SUPERHEATED WATER-IN-OIL EMULSIONS - MICRO-EXPLOSION OF EMULSIFIED FUELS

The flashing temperature of superheated water droplets dispersed in fuels was measured to investigate the micro-explosion of emulsified fuels. As fuels, kerosene, diesel fuel and tetradecene were used. Water, aqueous methanol and ethanol solutions were used as the dispersed phase. The emulsions were prepared by two methods: mechanical and ultrasonic, and were stabilized by Span 80. The emulsion samples in a test tube were heated in an oil bath at a rate 2 K/min. The flashing temperature, represented by the 50% flashing temperature, decreases with increasing surface area per unit volume of the emulsion sample. The flashing temperatures were observed to depend on the composition of both the continuous and dispersed phases; this dependence was expressed as a function of the surface excess of surfactant.