ASCE will be sunsetting the Civil Engineering Database (CEDB) in the coming months. We encourage you to start using the ASCE Library to perform content searches. In the ASCE Library, you can save your search results as well as receive email content alerts when new content relevant to your area of interest is published. Try it out today at https://ascelibrary.org.

 

Chemical Treating Agents for Oil Spill Response?Recent Research Results

by Mervin F. Fingas, Environment Canada, Ottawa, Canada,
Edward J. Tennyson, Environment Canada, Ottawa, Canada,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Coastal Zone '91

Abstract:

Laboratory effectiveness tests have been developed for four classes of spill-treating agents; solidifiers, demulsifying agents, surface-washing agents and dispersants. Currently-available treating agents in these four categories have been tested for effectiveness. These results are presented. Solidifiers or gelling agents solidify oil. Tests show that these require a large amount of agent to solidify oil - ranging between 16% by weight, to over 200%. Demulsifiers or emulsion breakers prevent or reverse the formation of water-in-oil emulsions. A newly-developed effectiveness test shows that only one product is highly effective, however many products will work, but require large amounts of spill-treating agent. Surfactant-containing materials are of two types, surface-washing agents and dispersants. Testing has shown that an agent that is a good dispersant is conversely a poor surface-washing agent, and vice versa. Tests of surface-washing agents show that only a few agents have effectiveness of 25 to 40%, where this effectiveness is the percentage of oil removed from a test surface. Results using the 'swirling flask' test for dispersant effectiveness are reported. Heavy oils show effectiveness values of about 1%, medium crudes of about 10%, light crude oils of about 30% and very light oils of about 90%.

Subject Headings: Aging (material) | Hazardous materials spills | Solidification | Chemical treatment | Water treatment | Water pollution | Waste sites

Services: Buy this book/Buy this article

 

Return to search