Major oil spills like <i>Deepwater horizon </i>reveal the need for crude oil simulants to mimic the behavior of crude oil for field testing and training purposes. We have developed novel electrospray aerosol based fabrication methods to generate a monodisperse oil simulant. The generated oil simulant is composed of a fluorescent core and an optically transparent shell which is made of plant and insect waxes. Initial method for the synthesis of the simulant is a twofold process. First the formation of monodispersed fluorescent core (mean particle diameter, 24.4 nm) is achieved using electrospray, secondly, deposition of wax vapors on to these core particles takes place inside a furnace through condensational growth mechanism (mean core-shell particle diameter, 43.7 nm). The proof of concept for this initial synthesis method was established through the evaluation of physical properties of formed aerosol and crude oil simulant hydrosol. Fluorescence verification of the crude oil simulant was achieved using both laboratory and field-grade instrumentation. We also report a more improved synthesis method which enables us to fabricate the core-shell structure in a single step using a dual capillary. The inner capillary carries the core material solution while outer capillary carries the shell material solution. The bigger capillary used in this system allows to access larger core-shell particles. The generated crude oil simulant was readily detectable as a hydrosol at ppb concentrations.

Electrospray aerosol synthesis of crude oil simulant to mimic the behavior of oil droplets in water

254th National Meeting (2017)

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