Biodegradation of Fuel Oil Under Laboratory and Arctic Marine Conditions

The aerobic biodegradation of the components of a fuel oil under Arctic summer conditions follows a pattern that is indistinguishable from that exhibited under temperate conditions. Straight chain alkanes and small aromatics are degraded first, followed by branched alkanes and larger and alkylated aromatics. We present data on the biodegradation of heptadecane as a representative n-alkane, pristane as a representative iso-alkane, and naphthalene, phenanthrene, and chrysene and their alkylated forms as representative two-, three- and four-ring aromatic hydrocarbons. In particular, the pattern of degradation of the alkylated aromatics allows the identification of biodegradation in samples collected from the field and the estimation of the extent of biodegradation that occurred in the In-Situ Treatment of Oiled Sediment Shorelines Field Trials.     

含油废水破乳除油的试验研究及工业应用

对３种含油废水进行了处理试验,验证了破乳剂的破乳除油效果,筛选了效果最佳的破乳药剂并进行了工业应用,取得令人满意的结果。     

Summary of Development and Field Testing of the Transrec Oil Recovery System

This paper summarizes the development, field testing and performance evaluation of the Transrec oil recovery system including the Framo NOFO Transrec 350 skimmer and multi-functional oil spill prevention and response equipment and presents performance data, not published before, from full-scale experimental oil spills in the North Sea from 1981 to 1990. The rare data provides useful information for evaluation of mechanical clean-up capabilities and efficiency, in particular, for responders who are using this equipment in many countries around the world.The development of the Transrec oil recovery system represents one of the most comprehensive efforts funded to date by the oil industry in Norway to improve marine and open ocean oil spill response capabilities. The need for improvements was based upon early practical user experience with different oil recovery systems, and test results from experimental oil spills in the North Sea.The result of the development efforts increased: (1) skimmer efficiency from approximately 15–75% (it reached 100% under favorable environmental conditions); (2) oil emulsion recovery rate from approximately 20–300 m³/h; (3) recovery system efficiency from approximately 15–85% in 1.5 m significant wave height; (4) oil emulsion thickness from approximately 15–35 cm; (5) weather-window for mechanical recovery operations from 1.5 to 3.0 m significant wave height; (6) capability for transfer of recovered oil residue to shuttle tankers in up to 4 m significant wave height and 45 knot winds; (7) capability for operations at night.The new Transrec oil recovery system with the special J-configuration virtually eliminated skimming operation downtime, and damage to booms and equipment failures that had been caused by oil spill response vessel (OSRV) problems with maintaining skimming position in the previous three-vessel oil recovery system with the boom towed in U-configuration. The time required to outfit OSRVs dropped from approximately 30–<1 h, reducing time from notification to operation on site by more than 24 h.Improvement in oil recovery resulted in the acceptance of a new oil spill preparedness and response plan. The new plan reduced the need for oil recovery systems from 21 to 14, towing vessels in preparedness from 42 to 18, and personnel on stand-by from 135 to 70, which subsequently reduced the total contingency and operational costs by almost 50%. These cost reductions resulted from lower contingency fees for personnel, fewer towing vessels on stand-by, less expensive open ocean training and exercises, less equipment and reduced storage space to lease, and simplified equipment maintenance.     

Removal of Oil from Oil-in-Water Emulsion by Poly (Sulfur/Soya Bean Oil) Composite Adsorbent: An Equilibrium Study

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - This work describes synthesis of poly (sulfur/soya bean oil) composite material by co-polymerization of elemental sulfur and soya bean oil at...     

Synthesis and Properties Modified Feather Keratin-Based Motor Oil Sorbing Cryogels with High Oil Holding Capacity

Oleic acid was used to modify keratin extracted from chicken feathers by free radical initiated graft copolymerization. Thereafter, the modified keratin was used for the synthesis of cryogels. The influence of oleic acid modification, the crosslinker content, and the protein concentration on the properties of the cryogels were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, SDS-PAGE, and through oil holding capacity tests. To enhance the sorption properties, the cryogels were crosslinked with glutaraldehyde. Varying protein concentration from 1.27 to 5.09 wt% and glutaraldehyde concentration from 0 to 5 wt% produced cryogels with oil holding capacity ranging from 4.56 to 10.76 g/g. The highest results exceeded the sorption capacity of previously published oleic acid modified woodchips (6.3 g/g) as well as polypropylene (6 g/g), which is the standard material used in industry.     

Material Properties and Influence of Molecular Weight and Testing Rate on Adhesion Properties of Epoxidized Natural Rubber-Based Adhesives

The effect of molecular weight and testing rate on peel and shear strength of epoxidized natural rubber (ENR-50)-based adhesive was investigated using petro resin as the tackifier. Toluene and polyethylene terephthalate were used as the solvent and substrate respectively. Peel and shear strength were determined by a Llyod Adhesion Tester operating at different rates of testing. Result shows that peel strength and shear strength increases up to an optimum molecular weight of 4.2 × 10⁴ g/mol of ENR-50. This observation is attributed to the combined effects of wettability and mechanical strength of rubber for peel strength. For shear strength, it is ascribed to the optimum cohesive and adhesive strength. Both peel strength and shear strength increases with increasing rate of testing, an observation which is associated to the viscoeslastic response of the adhesive. Thermal study, SEM and FTIR study confirms the miscibility of tackifier with ENR-50.     

响应面法优化阴阳极同时作用电化学法处理染料废水

在自制电化学反应器中,以甲基橙模拟染料废水为处理对象,采用Box-Behnken Design响应面法研究了影响阴阳极同时作用电化学法处理染料废水的因素及其交互作用。实验得出各因素对废水脱色率影响的大小顺序为：电流密度> Fe³⁺浓度>Cl^-浓度。各因素之间的交互作用对废水脱色率影响的大小顺序为：电流密度和Fe³⁺浓度>电流密度和Cl^-浓度>Fe³⁺浓度和Cl^-浓度。优化结果表明：Fe³⁺浓度为1.02 mmol/L、Cl^-浓度为10.96 mmol/L、电流密度为11.52 mA/cm²时,最佳脱色率为94.67%。阴阳极同时作用电化学法对甲基橙去除效果显著。     

废水中油类的理化性状及含量测定技术

介绍、验证了三波数红外光谱法测定油类含量、显微镜计数法测定油珠粒径的方法和原理;设计、论证了废水中油类的物化形态分析预处理方案及测定方法。该方法的实测结果对选择除油方法、确定必要的工程设计参数和工艺运行参数、客观评价设施运行效率具有重要的实用价值。     

Importance of recycling education: a curriculum development at WSU

The use of recyclable materials has been continuously increasing worldwide due to economic, environmental, and technological developments. Not reusing recyclable materials means that they will be degraded or corroded, and then completely destroyed by nature, thus representing a waste of resources and much environmental damage. To increase both academic and public awareness of recycling, the authors have developed a three-credit-hour recycling course entitled “Recycling of Engineering Materials” at the College of Engineering at Wichita State University, which was taught in spring 2008 and 2010. The lectures focused on basic characterization and separation techniques of recyclable materials, recycled products, environmental concerns, and potential commercial applications. Throughout the lectures, students were expected to gain an understanding of recycling concepts, processing techniques, recent progress on recycling, as well as health issues relating to toxic and hazardous materials and their handling procedures. The survey results confirmed that the course is well established and understood by the undergraduate and graduate students.     

The Properties of PLA/Oxidized Soybean Oil Polymer Blends

Novel polymer blends based on completely renewable polymers were reported. Polymer blends based on polylactic acid (PLA) and oxidized and hydroxylated soya bean oil polymers were prepared. Plasticization and mechanical strength effect of the soya bean oil polymers on the PLA were observed. Fracture surface analysis of the polymer blends was carried out by using scanning electron microscopy. The PLA blends showed more amorphous morphologies compared to pure PLA. The blends had better elongation at break in view of the stress–strain measurement. Blend of PLA with the hydroxylated polymeric soya bean oil indicated the slightly antibacterial properties.     

Prediction of the Dispersal of Oil Transport in the Caspian Sea Resulting from a Continuous Release

A 3-D hybrid flow/transport model has been developed to predict the dispersal of oil pollution in coastal waters. The transport module of the model takes predetermined current and turbulent diffusivities and uses Lagrangian tracking to predict the motion of individual particles (droplets), the sum of which constitute a hypothetical oil spill. Currents and turbulent diffusivities used in the model have been generated by a numerical ocean circulation model (Princeton ocean model) implemented for the Caspian Sea. The basic processes affecting the fate of the oil spill are taken into account and parameterized in the transport model.The hybrid model is implemented for a simulated continuous release in the coastal waters of the Caspian Sea. The potential of the model for the prediction of the advective and turbulent transport and dispersal of oil spills is demonstrated.     

Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Polyurethane Rigid Foam Based on Epoxidized Soybean Oil

A soypolyol based on epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) was prepared in the presence of HBF₄ and diethanolamine (DEA) was used as ring opener. A series of polyurethane rigid foam were prepared by mixing polyol with TDI using an isocyanate index of 1.1. The polyol used in this paper were a mixture of soypolyol and a commercial PL-5601 polyester polyol and the mass fraction of PL-5601 was in the range of 0–60%. The thermal properties of the resins were characterized by DSC and TG. The results showed that these rigid foams possess high thermal stability. There were two glass transition temperature of each foam and Tg₁ was increasing with the increasing of OH value. The compression strength of the foam was also recorded, and the effect of mass ratio of soypolyol and PL-5601 polyester polyol on the compression strength was discussed.     

Biobased Polyurethanes from Rapeseed Oil Polyols: Structure, Mechanical and Thermal Properties

Biobased polyols were synthesized from rapeseed oil (RO) with diethanolamine (DEA), triethanolamine (TEA) and glycerol (GL) at different molar ratios. The structures of the synthesized polyols were analyzed using FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. Polyurethane (PU) networks from RO/DEA polyols and polymeric MDI showed higher tensile strength, modulus and hardness, but their elongation at break decreased, compared to the case of the PU obtained from RO/TEA and RO/GL polyols. The tensile strength and modulus of PU networks increased with increasing PU cohesion energy density (CED) and decreasing molecular weight between crosslinks M _c . From the thermogravimetric analysis and its derivative thermograms, at the first stage of destruction (below 5 % weight loss) in the air and inert atmosphere, the PU obtained from RO polyols were ranked in the following order: PU RO/GL > PU RO/TEA > PU RO/DEA, and their thermostability was higher than that of the PU based on propylene oxide.     

Mercury Capture on Fly Ash and Sorbents: The Effects of Coal Properties and Combustion Conditions

The US fleet of coal-fired power plants, with generating capacity of just over 300 GW, is known to be a major source of domestic mercury (Hg) emissions. To address this, in March 2005, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated the Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR) to reduce emissions of mercury from these plants. It is generally believed that most of the initial (Phase I) mercury reductions will come as a co-benefit of existing controls used to remove particulate matter (PM), SO₂, and NO _X . Deeper reductions in emissions (as required in Phase II of CAMR) may require the installation of mercury-specific control technology. Duct injection of activated carbon sorbents is the mercury-specific control technology that has been most widely studied and has been demonstrated over a wide range of coal types and combustion conditions. The effectiveness of the mercury control options (both “co-benefit control” and “mercury-specific control”) is significantly impacted by site-specific characteristics such as the combustion conditions, the configuration of existing air pollution controls, and the type of coal burned. This paper identifies the role of coal properties and combustion conditions in the capture of mercury by fly ash and injected sorbents.     

Second Phase Evaluation of a Protocol for Testing a Fire Resistant Oil Spill Containment Boom

Most response plans for in situ burning of oil at sea call for the use of a fire-resistant boom to contain the oil during a burn. Presently, there is no standard method for the user of fire-resistant boom to evaluate the anticipated performance of different booms. The American Standard for Testing Materials (ASTM) F-20 Committee has developed a draft standard, `Standard Guide for in situ Burning of Oil Spills on Water: Fire-Resistant Containment Boom'; however, the draft provides only general guidelines and does not specify the details of the test procedure. Utilizing the guidelines in the draft standard, a second series of experiments was conducted to evaluate a protocol for testing the ability of fire-resistant booms to withstand both fire and waves.     

Synthesis and Properties of Polyesters from Waste Grapeseed Oil: Comparison with Soybean and Rapeseed Oils

The aim of this study was to investigate the application of grapeseed oil, a waste product from the wine industry, as a renewable feedstock to make polyesters and to compare the properties of these materials with those derived from soybean and rapeseed oils. All three oils were epoxidized to give renewable epoxy monomers containing between 3.8 and 4.7 epoxides per molecule. Polymerisation was achieved with cyclic anhydrides catalysed by 4-methyl imidazole at 170 and 210 °C. Polymers produced from methyl tetrahydrophthalic anhydride (Aradur917^®) had greater tensile strength and Young’s Modulus (tensile strength = 12.8 MPa, Young’s Modulus = 1005 MPa for grapeseed) than methyl nadic anhydride (MNA) derived materials (5.6 and 468 MPa for grapeseed) due to increased volume of MNA decreasing crosslink density. Soybean and grapeseed oils produced materials with higher tensile strength (5.6–29.3 MPa) than rapeseed derived polyesters (2.5–3.9 MPa) due to a higher epoxide functionality increasing crosslinking. T _g’s of the polyesters ranged from ?36 to 62 °C and mirrored the trend in epoxide functionality with grapeseed producing higher T _g polymers (?17 to 17 °C) than soybean (?25 to 6 °C) and rapeseed (?36 to ?27 °C). Grapeseed oil showed similar properties to soybean oil in terms of T _g, thermal degradation and Young’s Modulus but produced polymers of lower tensile strength. Therefore grapeseed oil would only be a viable substitute for soybean for low stress applications or where thermal properties are more important.     

Static and Dynamic Behavior of Fibrous Polymeric Composite Materials at Different Environmental Conditions

The study of static and dynamic behavior of environmentally conditioned fibre reinforced polymeric (FRP) composites is necessary and crucial to examine the durability, reliability and sustainability of these noble materials. FRP composites are being used all around the globe and substituting the conventional materials, starting from mini toys to large aerospace components. Present review has introduced to accumulate and understand the disseminate literature in concentrating the significance of understanding the static and dynamic behavior of FRPs with changing environmental conditionings (hygrothermal, low and high temperature, salt solution, freeze thaw, UV light) and with the interaction of different nano-fillers. Their stability and integrity in diverse service environments may be reformed by their reactions against different nature of loadings i.e. static or dynamic and the components such as fibre, matrix and fibre/matrix interfaces in those environments. The static and dynamic states of loading may come with a possible weaker region to encounter the durability and integrity of the composites. To understand the exact failure modes that correlates the position of environmentally conditioned interfaces and dynamic state of loadings, thus confusing the estimation of its overall performance and mechanical behavior. Interface reliability and durability is vital since in-service environments the degradation in the interfacial region leads to complete composite failure. Therefore, the study of combined effects of various in-service environmental conditions and the role of static and dynamic behavior on the interface will be a crucial part related to the multiaxial dynamic states of failures occurring in FRP’s.     

Estimating Time Windows for Burning Oil at Sea: Processes and Factors

This paper discusses processes and factors for estimating time period windows of in situ burning of spilled oil at sea. Time-periods of in situ burning of Alaska North Slope (ANS) crude oil are estimated using available data. Three crucial steps are identified. The First Step is to determine the time it takes for the evaporative loss to reach the known or established limitation for evaporation and compare this time-period with estimated time of ignition at the ambient wind and sea temperatures. The Second Step is to determine the water up-take of the spilled oil and compare it with the known or established limitation for water-in-oil content. The Third Step is to determine the necessary heat load from the igniter to bring the surface temperature of the spilled oil to its flash point temperature so that it will burn at the estimated time period for ignition of the slick.