The research investigated the feasibility of enhancing the de-emulsifying properties of commercially available oil dispersants by modifying the composition and fraction of polar constituents in the oil phase of water-in-oil emulsions and increasing the pH of the emulsion aqueous phase.
The following tasks were accomplished during the research effort:
Task 1. Select candidate polar additives based on human and ecological toxicity, solubility, reactivity in dispersant solutions, and effectiveness in increasing the de-emulsification properties of commercially available dispersants. Additional consideration will be given to additives based on the ability to modify dispersant solution pH.
Task 2. Prior to conducting emulsion de-stabilization experiments, characterize the primary materials to be used (raw crude oil and dispersant COREXIT 9500) with respect to physical and chemical composition.
Task 3. Conduct a series of emulsion destabilization experiments. These experiments involved mixing known volumes of homogenized raw crude oil and (1) standard seawater; (2) standard seawater plus dispersant; and (3) standard seawater plus polar compound-modified dispersant.
Task 4. Document the efforts and results.
The project has been completed and the Final Report is posted below.