Flow regimes of granular particles are well studied and classified as solid, liquid, and gaseous types. Besides the behavior of particles is very different in each flow regime, the interaction of granular particles with floating hydrophobic liquid-water interface presents new phenomena that have not been reported in the scientific literature. Understanding the interaction of particles with oil-water interface opens up the possibilities of development of new technologies for oil spills capture, submergence, and floating oil mobility control.<br/>Experiments were conducted with South Louisiana crude oil (MC 252), and pure quartz sand with two different particle sizes (0.15-0.42 mm and 0.60-0.85 mm). The application rates of sand varied in order to represent different granular flow regimes and were controlled by an opening size in a funnel.<br/>Sand particles, reaching the floating hydrophobic layer, initiated instantaneous aggregation of the floating oil and various submergence patterns occurred. Submergence patterns were described for each application rate of particles and the critical oil thickness was defined in relation to the observed submergence phenomena.<br/>The interaction patterns we observed can be used for granular enforcement of liquid-liquid interfaces, rapid transfer of the floating oil to the submerged state, and phase transformation of light hydrophobic liquids.<br/>

Interfacial interactions of granular particles with floating crude oil under different granular flow regimes

253rd National Meeting (2017)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.