CHEMICAL ADDITIVES FOR IMPROVEMENT OF OIL SPILL CONTROL

Chemical additives for improving oil spill control were studied. A state of art report, bibliography and evaluation were prepared. Drum and belt driven oil flow simulation tanks for oil control study were developed. Sixteen oils tested showed initial dropletting and entrainment for oil slicks on water at 0.3 to 0.6 knots, with no correlation between viscosity, density or interfacial tension. Most effective additives were non-toxic oil soluble hydrocarbon polymers, polyethylenes and ethylene-propylene copolymers, useful at low concentrations, raising initial entrainment speeds to 2 knots, short of 10 knot objective. Surface active agents did not inhibit dropletting or promote coalescence of oil or oily drops.