Cleanup properties of high molecular weight polymeric solutions laden with particles

Daniel D. Joseph

University of Minnesota, January 2005


      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.


1. 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. 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


2.Oil spill remediation. Experiment for the enhancement of oil slick cleaning by adding particles to Elastol. 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


3. 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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