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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.
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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.
- Oil is in the beaker. We cannot suck it out.
- We add a small amount of Elastol to the oil.
- We pull out the Elastol and oil but the bottom of the beaker
is slightly soiled with oil.
- We add particles to the Elastol plus oil. The particles are
submillimeter and nearly neutrally buoyant; nothing special.
- We pull out the Elastol, oil and particle mixture. The bottom
of the beaker is cleaned.
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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.
- Motor oil on water in a petrie dish.
- We cannot suck out all the oil with our sucking device,
because the oil breaks.
- We add Elastol; it mixes with the oil.
- We can pull out the mixture, but a little slick is
left.
- We add particles to the mixture.
- We pull out the oil-Elastol-particle mixture. It cleans up
nicely, better than when there are no particles.
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3.
Capillary attraction and self-assembly of small particles in
oil slicks.
- The dispersion and self-assembly of sands in water.
- 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.
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