Conductivity reduction due to emulsification during surfactant enhanced-aquifer remediation. 2. Formation of emulsion in situ.

Abstract

Permeability reduction due to surfactant emulsification can impact the effectiveness of surfactant-enhanced aquifer remediation (SEAR). The objective of this study was to examine the process of in situ emulsification in systems composed of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and solutions of two nonionic surfactants selected for their ability to enhance solubility. The injection of the surfactant solutions into columns packed with sand-sized silica particles containing residual saturations of PCE resulted in the formation of an emulsion with an average droplet diameter of 0.1-0.2 microm, about an order of magnitude smaller than that of the ex situ formed emulsion. The measurements of hydraulic conductivity showed an initial decrease, followed by a gradual increase, with a final steady-state reduction of about 35% after the injection of 7-8 pore volumes of surfactant solution, of which about 8% could be attributed to the deposition of the emulsion. To describe the observed trends, the modified emulsion transport model from Part 1 was modified to include the processes of the formation of the emulsion and the reduction of the PCE residual. The good comparison between the simulations and the experimental data suggests that the model correctly reflects the multiple processes controlling the hydraulic conductivity of the packed columns during surfactant solution injection.