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Dispersant Effectiveness Of Heavy Fuel Oils Using The Baffled Flask Test
Citation:
Srinivasan, R., Q. Lu, G. A. Sorial, A. D. VENOSA, AND J. Mullin. Dispersant Effectiveness Of Heavy Fuel Oils Using The Baffled Flask Test. D. Grasso (ed.), ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., Larchmont, NY, 24(9):1307-1320, (2007).
Impact/Purpose:
To provide a database needed for evaluating commercial dispersants and heavy fuel oils at different DORs, mixing regimes, and temperatures.
Description:
Dispersants have been widely used as a primary response measure for marine oil spills around the world. Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed an improved laboratory dispersant testing protocol, called the Baffled Flask Test (BFT). The BFT protocol was used to determine the effectiveness of three commercially available dispersants on two heavy fuel oils, namely IFO 180 and IFO 380. The dispersants tested were C9500 (Corexit 9500), SD25 (Superdispersant 25), and Agma (AGMA Superconcentrate DR379). A factorial experimental design was conducted to study the effect of different variables. The factors and levels of each test variable were three dispersant to oil ratios (DOR) (1:100, 2:100, and 4:100), two temperatures (16oC and 5oC), and three flask rotation speeds (150, 200, and 250 rpm). The percent effectiveness encountered ranged from less than 5% for untreated IFO oils to around 80% for one IFO and one dispersant at high mixing at 16oC. In general, dispersion effectiveness increased with increase temperature, DOR, and mixing rate. Statistical analysis was performed on the experimental data to determine the significant factors. Mixing speed was found to be a significant factor in all the oil-dispersant combinations and DOR in all tests involving two of the dispersants. The effect of temperature was observed for all combinations involving IFO 180 and a few invoving IFO 380, and a significant two-way interaction was observed between temperature and the other two factors in almost all the cases. The experimental data were also compared with results from other laboratory and wave-tank dispersant effectiveness studies conducted on the two IFO oils. For both IFO 180 and IFO 380, the BFT compared well with the various laboratory and wave-tank tests.
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DISPERSANT EFFECTIVENESS OF HEAVY FUEL OILS USING THE BAFFLED FLASK TEST
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