The dispersion effectiveness of dispersants containing Tween 80, Span 80, and dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DOSS) was characterized using a modified Swirling Flask test, and was correlated with both initial and dynamic interfacial tension produced by those dispersants at an oil-water interface. Compositional trends in effectiveness were shown to be governed by: (1) initial oil-water interfacial tension observed upon dispersant-oil-saltwater contact; (2) rate of increase (or decrease) from the initial interfacial tension as DOSS was rapidly lost to the aqueous phase; and (3) gradually slowing kinetics of dispersant adsorption to the oil-water interface as Span 80 concentration was increased, which ultimately diminished dispersion effectiveness considerably even as dynamic interfacial tension remained <10(-3) mN/m. It is proposed that this third phenomenon results not only from the hydrophobicity of Span 80, but also from the dependence of mixed Tween-Span-DOSS reverse micelles' stability in crude oil on dispersant composition.
Keywords: Corexit; Crude oil; Dispersant; Oil spill; Surfactants.
Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.