Last updated -
November 21, 2005
Marine Oil Spill Research Laboratory
A part of Arturo Keller's laboratory at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management (UCSB)
We are focusing on the optimization of mechanical oil spill recovery process. We are working with the Minerals Management Service (U.S. Dept. of Interior) and equipment manufacturers, to develop novel materials for the skimmer recovery surface that would improve its recovery efficiency. We have full capabilities to characterize both the oils and the material surfaces. Controlled Temperature Workspace and Sample Storage allows studying oil spills at various regions of the world by conducting experiments at the precise temperature in a range from -20°С to +25°С.
Capabilities:
- Separation of asphaltenes from crude oils and refined petroleum products
- Measurements of a surface tension of liquids (DuNouy ring and Wilhelmy plate methods)
- Measurements of a dynamic contact angle between liquids and solids (Wilhelmy plate method)
- Evaporation of liquids
- Emulsification/mixing of liquids
- Viscosity measurements
- Liquid composition analysis (GC-MS and HPLC)
- Analysis of solid surfaces
Separation of Asphaltenes
Asphaltenes precipitate out of solution when oil is diluted with n-Heptane, and are filtered trough a funnel filter assembly.
Dynamic Contact Angle Analyzer
The Automated Dynamic Contact Angle Analyzer (Cahn Radian 315 by Thermo) is used for surface tension and dynamic contact angle measurements. This system can be applied to many types and geometries of solid surfaces including single fibers as small as 0.1 mm in diameter. Some characteristics of DCA are presented below
|
Surface Tension Range |
Contact Angle Range |
Surface Tension Precision |
Contact Angle Precision |
Balance Precision |
Max Sample Weight |
Max Sample Diameter |
Min Fiber Diameter |
|
1-1000 mN/m |
0-180 degrees |
± 0.001 mN/m |
± 0.01 degrees |
1 µgram |
100 grams |
75 mm |
0.1 mm |
Measurements of a surface tension of liquids (DuNouy ring and Wilhelmy plate methods)
Wilhelmy Plate Method
In standard method a thin plate (made of a high surface energy material) is
lowered to the surface of a liquid and the downward force directed to the plate
by a liquid is measured. Surface tension is measured as a force divided by the
perimeter of the plate.
DuNouy Ring Method
In this method a ring (standard perimeter about 60 mm) is pulled through the
liquid/air interface and the maximum downward force directed to the ring is
measured.
Measurements of a dynamic contact angle between liquids and solids (Wilhelmy plate method)
The tensiometric method for measuring contact angles measures the forces that are present when a sample of solid is brought into contact with a test liquid. If the forces of interaction, geometry of solid and surface tension of the liquid are known the contact angle may be calculated.
Evaporation of liquids
Büchi Rotary evaporator (Rotavapor RE 111) and Büchi Wather Bath are used to evaporate light fractions of petroleum products and to separate petroleum mixtures under vacuum. Haake A80 cooling system is used to cool down the air inside the precipitation column. Vapors that escaped precipitation are collected in the refrigerated vapor trap (RVT 4104 by Savant) set at -110°.
Emulsification/mixing of liquids
Emulsification frame allows up to 6 liters of liquid to be mixed at the same time. To prepare oil-in-water emulsion, each funnel is filled with 500 ml of seawater and 50 ml of oil and mixed at the speed of 40 rpm for 24 hours.
Viscosity measurements
Viscosity is measured by Brookfield viscometer (DV-II+ Pro). The principal of operation of the DV-II+Pro is to drive a spindle (which is immersed in the test fluid) through a calibrated spring. The viscous drag of the fluid against the spindle is measured by the spring deflection. Spring deflection is measured with a rotary transducer. The measurement range of a DV-II+Pro (in centipoise or milliPascal seconds) is determined by the rotational speed of the spindle, the size and shape of the spindle, the container the spindle is rotating in, and the full scale torque of the calibrated spring.
Liquid composition analysis (GC-MS and HPLC)
Specifications for Varian Gas Chromatograph - Mass Spectrometer (Saturn 2100T) can be found here.
Shimadzu High Pressure Liquid Chromatographer with fluorescence (RF-10A XL) and diode array (SPD-M10A) detectors.
Analysis of solid surfaces
(available through other UCSB laboratories)
Veeco Optical Profilometer allows measuring roughness of the surface.
Surface of a steel plate
Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) with X-ray microanalysis and a cold stage allows creating high-magnification images of surfaces and analyze surface composition.
Image of a portion of a wasp's eye
University of California Santa Barbara