Oil-water systems are commonplace and form the basis of numerous processes in industries such as pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics, agrochemicals, and nanomaterials. Not all interactions between oil and water are beneficial, especially in situations such as oil spills in oceans. Although recent investigations have probed different facets of oil spillages, several questions remain unanswered. As an example, the process by which oil droplets impacting on the ocean surface eventually spread to form thin films is not well understood. This project will elucidate this process in detail using a combination of experiments and mathematical models. The proposed research is transformative as it has the potential to probe new pathways for oil spill proliferation, and it will shed light on involved processes that have been largely overlooked. The results should expand the understanding on oil spills by providing a comprehensive experimental data and a validated theoretical framework that can inform better containment strategies. The knowledge gained can be applied to other oil/water systems such as separation/extraction columns or thin films. The project's findings will be disseminated through outreach programs and presentations at national and international conferences.
The aftermaths of a dewetting event at liquid-air interface by an oil droplet will strongly depend upon the chemical properties of these oils, the bulk liquid properties, and the presence of particles within these oil drops. Consequently, the research will use simulant clay particles with the auxiliary objective of devising a method to arrest the spreading. Post a dewetting event, the research will study the spreading behavior of oils in absence and presence of microparticles and such behavior will be quantified in the form of dimensionless groups to classify the predict behavior of the spreading oil. The data collected from this investigation should also help develop more accurate drop size distribution models. The investigation will touch upon diverse fields such as interfacial fluid science of thin liquid film/drops and synthesis of colloids. The possible control of dewetting by microparticles could also lead to methods for formulating Pickering emulsions which could then find novel uses within many disciplines.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
