Bitumen on Water: Charred Hay as a PFD (Petroleum Flotation Device)
نویسندگان
چکیده
Global demand for petroleum keeps increasing while traditional supplies decline. One alternative to the use of conventional crude oils is the utilization of Canadian bitumen. Raw bitumen is a dense, viscous, semi-liquid that is diluted with lighter crude oil to permit its transport through pipelines to terminals where it can then be shipped to global markets. When spilled, it naturally weathers to its original form and becomes dense enough to sink in aquatic systems. This severely limits oil spill recovery and remediation options. Here we report on the application of charred hay as a method for modifying the surface behavior of bitumen in aquatic environments. Waste or surplus hay is abundant in North America. Its surface can easily be modified through charring and/or chemical treatment. We have characterized the modified and charred hay using solid-state NMR, contact angle measurements and infrared spectroscopy. Tests of these materials to treat spilled bitumen in model aquatic systems have been undertaken. Our results indicate that bitumen spills on OPEN ACCESS J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2015, 3 1245 water will retain their buoyancy for longer periods after treatment with charred hay, or charred hay coated with calcium oxide, improving recovery options.
منابع مشابه
Understanding Bitumen Recovery from Oil Sands through Colloidal and Interfacial Phenomena
Canadian oil sands are unconsolidated sand deposits that are impregnated with heavy, viscous petroleum, normally referred to as bitumen. The total bitumen in place in Alberta is estimated at 1.7 to 2.5 trillion barrels and is clearly massive by world standards. Presently, 25% of the Canadian energy needs are derived from upgraded bitumen from mined oil sands. The oil sands are a complex mixture...
متن کاملAsh and sulphur removal from bitumen using column flotation technique: Experimental and response surface methodology modeling
This study investigates removing ash and pyrite sulphur from bitumen by column flotation process. Central composite design (CCD) of response surface methodology (RSM) was applied for modeling and optimization of the percentage of ash and pyrite sulphur removal from bitumen. The effects of five parameters namely the amounts of collector and frother agents, particle size, wash water rate and feed...
متن کاملSimultaneous Ash and Sulphur Removal from Bitumen Using Column Flotation Technique: Experiments, RSM Modeling and Optimization
An efficient method was employed for the ash and pyrite sulphur removal from bitumen using column flotation process. The bitumen samples containing 9.6% sulphur (6.81% in the pyrite sulphur form) and 26.4% ash were successfully showed up to 75.20% of pyrite sulphur (e.g.; 51.66% of total sulphur) and 70.81% of ash removal. The Box-Behnken Design (BBD) was employed to design the experiments, to ...
متن کاملA Study of Oil Displacement on Model Surfaces
resulting in decreased energy consumption and increased Experiments were performed to study bitumen film rupture and bitumen recovery, is the impetus for undertaking a systemdisplacement on model surfaces. Bitumen film on a glass plate atic study of the mechanisms involved in oil–water displacewas found to thin down and rupture in the presence of water ment on a solid surface. Such mechanistic ...
متن کاملAre life vests worn? A multiregional observational study of personal flotation device use in small boats.
OBJECTIVE Although life vest use is thought to prevent drowning, their use by boaters has not been described. This study sought to determine the use of personal flotation devices (PFDs) in small boats. METHODS Boaters were observed between April and June 1995 in Washington and Oregon and classified by their age, gender, PFD use, and boat type. RESULTS Among 4181 boaters, 25% wore a PFD. Use...
متن کامل