Cleanup properties of high molecular weight polymeric solutions laden with particles

Daniel D. Joseph

University of Minnesota, October 2002


      The movies (MPG format) which may be viewed on this web site show that solid and liquid substrates may be cleaned by sucking off polymeric liquids of high molecular weight and that loading these liquids with small particles greatly enhances this cleaning. The movies are divided into four parts.

  1. Particle-laden tubeless siphon. This experiment uses a piston and cylinder sucking device automated on a MTS machine. The liquid is a water-based polymer.
  2. Cleaning of oil contaminated substrate with a commercial solution of polymer in oil used for oil recovery (Elastol). We demonstrate that particles enhance the cleaning property.
  3. Enhancement of oil slick cleaning by adding particles to Elastol.
  4. Capillary attraction and self-assembly of small particles in oil slicks.

1. Particle-laden tubeless siphon. This experiment uses a piston and cylinder sucking device automated on a MTS machine. The liquid is a water-based polymer.

      1% Poly (ethylene oxide)
      Molecular weight 8 million
      80 ml initial volume
      Sucking velocity 1.22 in/min

The first movie is without particles. The siphon breaks before all the polymer is sucked out the beaker. Every thing is the same with the second movie except that small particles were added. The cleanup with the particle-laden siphon is complete. Complete cleaning with particles.

      Diameter 850 micron
      4% by volume
      Neutrally buoyant

 
(i) No particles
 
(ii) With particles
 

      In the case when no particles are present one can monitor the volume of liquid left behind after the siphon breaks as a function of the rate of suction (the velocity of the piston). The suction fraction F, defined as the of the volume sucked out to the initial volume, increases as 5.71 power of the velocity. At a high enough velocity one gets complete cleanup, even when no particles are present.


2. Cleaning oil contaminated solid substrate with Elastol and Elastol plus particles. We use a handheld piston in a cylinder sucking device to demonstrate the principles. There are 5 parts.

  1. Oil is in the beaker. We cannot suck it out.
  2. We add a small amount of Elastol to the oil.
  3. We pull out the Elastol and oil but the bottom of the beaker is slightly soiled with oil.
  4. We add particles to the Elastol plus oil. The particles are submillimeter and nearly neutrally buoyant; nothing special.
  5. We pull out the Elastol, oil and particle mixture. The bottom of the beaker is cleaned.

(i) Suction

(ii) Add Elastol

(iii) Suction

(iv) Add particles

(v) Suction


3.Oil spill remediation. In the first experiment we lay down an oil slick.

  1. Motor oil on water in a petrie dish.
  2. We cannot suck out all the oil with our sucking device, because the oil breaks.
  3. We add Elastol; it mixes with the oil.
  4. We can pull out the mixture, but a little slick is left.
  5. We add particles to the mixture.
  6. We pull out the oil-Elastol-particle mixture. It cleans up nicely, better than when there are no particles.

(i) Oil

(ii) Suction

(iii) Add Elastol

(iv) Suction

(v) Add particles

(vi) Suction
       


4. Capillary attraction and self-assembly of small particles in oil slicks.

  1. The dispersion and self-assembly of sands in water.
  2. Capillary attraction and self-assembly of particles in the oil-Elastol mixture. The phenomenon here is possibly fundamental to the improved performance of the particle-laden mixture.

(i)Dispersion and self-assembly

(ii) Self-assembly (photo)
     

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