ABSTRACT
This paper summarizes the data and the theory of oil-in-water emulsion stability resulting in oil spill dispersion re-surfacing. There is an extensive body of literature on surfactants and interfacial chemistry, including experimental data on emulsion stability. The phenomenon of resurfacing oil is the result of two separate processes: de stabilization of an oil-in-water emulsion and desorption of surfactant from the oil-water interface which leads to further de stabilization.
The de stabilization of oil-in-water emulsions such as chemical oil dispersions is a consequence of the fact that no emulsions are thermodynamically stable. Ultimately, natural forces move the emulsions to a stable state, which consists of separated oil and water. What is important is the rate at which this occurs. An emulsion is said to be kinetically stable when significant separation (usually considered to be half or 50% of the dispersed phase) occurs outside of the usable time.
There are several forces and processes that result in the destabilization and resurfacing of oil-in-water emulsions such as chemically dispersed oils. These include gravitational forces, surfactant interchange with water and subsequent loss of surfactant to the water column, creaming, coalescence, flocculation, Ostwald ripening, and sedimentation.
Gravitational separation is the most important force in the resurfacing of oil droplets from crude oil-in-water emulsions such as dispersions. Droplets in an emulsion tend to move upwards when their density is lower than that of water. Creaming is the de stabilization process that is simply described by the appearance of the starting dispersed phase at the surface. Coalescence is another important de stabilization process. Two droplets that interact as a result of close proximity or collision can form a new larger droplet. The result is to increase the droplet size and the rise rate, resulting in accelerated de stabilization of the emulsion. Studies show that coalescence increases with increasing turbidity as collisions between particles become more frequent.
Another important phenomenon when considering the stability of dispersed oil, is the absorption/desorption of surfactant from the oil/water interface. In dilute solutions, much of the surfactant in the dispersed droplets ultimately partitions to the water column and thus is lost to the dispersion process.
This paper provides a summary of the processes and data from some experiments relevant to oil spill dispersions.