Factors affecting bank formation during surfactant-enhanced mobilization of residual NAPL

Journal Article · Thu Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 1999 · Environmental Science and Technology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es980427u· OSTI ID:6377505

Willson, C S ^[1]; Hall, J L; Miller, C T ^[2]; Imhoff, P T ^[3]

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1. Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA (United States). Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
2. Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States). Dept. of Environmental Sciences and Engineering
3. Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States). Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Two-dimensional flow cell experiments were used to investigate the flow dynamics and factors affecting tetrachloroethylene (PCE) mobilization and bank formation in an otherwise water-saturated porous medium. Aqueous phase injection rates and flow cell angles were varied to control both buoyancy and viscous forces, and both macroscopic- and pore-scale images were captured and analyzed to determine the effects of these forces on PCE transport characteristics. Results were interpreted in terms of a nondimensional bank number, N[sub Ba], which relates the forces on the trapped nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) ganglia parallel to the flow direction to those forces perpendicular to the flow. N[sub Ba], was found to predict bank formation well except for N[sub Ba] [approx] 1, where other characteristics may have been important, such as droplet coalescence. Pore-scale observations showed that the mobilized PCE moved through the porous medium as noncoalesced droplets and that some of the trapped NAPL was mobilized through a dissolution/mobilization process.

• OSTI ID: 6377505
• Journal Information: Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 33:14; ISSN 0013-936X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
IN-SITU PROCESSING
POROUS MATERIALS
REMEDIAL ACTION
SURFACTANTS
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
540220* - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)