Recovery of High-Viscosity Crude Oil from Contaminated Oil-Wet Sand Using a Combined Mechanical Agitation and Freeze-Thaw Process
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 141, Issue 11
Abstract
This research presents a combined mechanical agitation and freeze–thaw method as a simple and immediate response to recover high-viscosity crude oil from oil-wet contaminated sand following oil spill events. The effects of temperature, pH, and agitation rate were studied on the recovery of high-viscosity crude oil in a mechanically agitated cell followed by freeze–thaw. Results showed that the increase in temperature and pH to 50°C and pH 9, respectively, was optimum and led to a 58% increase in oil recovery. The optimum agitation rate of 1,000 rpm at 50°C and pH 9 was further shown to increase the oil recovery to 68%. Further increases in agitation rates, however, showed a decline in oil recovery due to the formation of oil-in-water emulsions. Results of this study suggest that the combined mechanical agitation and freeze–thaw process is a viable method for the recovery of spilled crude oil on sand.
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Acknowledgments
Funding for this work is from Monash University Malaysia and is gratefully acknowledged.
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 141 • Issue 11 • November 2015
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 11, 2014
Accepted: Feb 12, 2015
Published online: May 22, 2015
Discussion open until: Oct 22, 2015
Published in print: Nov 1, 2015
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