Heavy oil mousse

FIGURE 4.42 Changes in amount of heavy oil mousse sorbed into three carbon sorbents with time. 

Even though the sorption performance (both capacity and rate) for heavy oil mousse was a bit inferior to that of pure oil, it was experimentally demonstrated that heavy oil mousse can be recovered by using carbon materials. However, the separation of water from heavy oil mousse was not observed throughout the sorption process. 

Analyzes carbon s ability to ab.sorb heavy oils from oil. spills, contaminated sands, and heavy oil mousse... 

Extremely viscous so-called heavy oils are often produced from wells in Canada, Venezuela, and China. These oils often have reported viscosities in the range of (3-30) x 10 mPa s [38 0] and are often produced at the well head as a gas-in-oil emulsion with a gas volume fractions of from 0.05 to 0.40 [41], which has the appearance of chocolate mousse [38]. The foams formed from such gas-in-oil emulsions upon standing can be extremely stable, persisting for several hours in open vessels [38]. 

The combined influences of solubilization, evaporation, and oxidation are known as weathering. Weathering preferentially removes the lighter hydrocarbon fractions, leaving a residual material made up of relatively heavy hydrocarbons. Over the shorter term in aquatic environments, this residuum forms a stable water-in-oil emulsion known as mousse, which is the material that usually impacts shorelines after an offshore spill. The mousse combines with sediment particles on the shore to form sticky patties of oil and sand, which eventually form asphaltic lumps. 

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