Hydraulic Conductivity of Organoclay and Organoclay-Sand Mixtures to Fuels and Organic Liquids

Abstract Hydraulic conductivity, swelling, and liquid sorption capacity (i.e., maximum organic liquid mass bound per mass organoclay solid) were measured for an organoclay with dimethylammonium bound to the surface. Five fuels (No. 1 fuel oil, No. 2 fuel oil, diesel, jet fuel, and gasoline), four pure organic liquids (methanol, phenol, ethylbenzene, and dioctyl phthalate), ranging from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, and Type II deionized (DI) water were used as liquids for solvation and permeation. The more hydrophilic liquids (methanol and phenol) and DI water resulted in low swelling ( ≤ 6 mL / 2 g ) or liquid sorption capacity ( ≤ 202 % ) and high hydraulic conductivity ( > 10 − 6 m / s ). The term hydraulic herein refers to liquid and applies to all permeant liquids used. The less-refined fuels composed of heavier distillates (fuel oil and diesel) and the phthalate resulted in low swelling ( 10 – 12 mL / 2 g ) and liquid sorption capacity ( < 235 % ) and intermediate to low hydraulic conductivi...