Electrokinetic Removal of Petroleum Hydrocarbon from Residual Clayey Soil Following a Washing Process

This study investigates total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) removal from residual clayey soil, after a washing procedure, using an electrokinetic process. Eight electrokinetic experiments were carried out to investigate the characteristics of TPH removal. When 0.1 M MgSO₄ or 0.1 M NaOH was used as an electrolyte, the electric current rapidly increased within the first 100 or 200 h, respectively. A negatively charged soil surface resulted in a more negative zeta potential and greater electroosmotic flow toward the cathode. Therefore, the accumulated electroosmotic flow (EOF) when using 0.1 M NaOH as the anolyte‐purging solution was higher than when using 0.1 M MgSO₄. Although the energy consumption for the two purging solutions was similar, the efficiencies of TPH removal when 0.1 M MgSO₄ and 0.1 M NaOH with surfactant were used were 0 and 39%, respectively, because the electroosmotic flow rate increased with TPH removal efficiency. When 5% isopropyl alcohol (IPA) was used as a circulation solution, the electric current increased but the TPH removal was similar to that using water. In terms of energy consumption, the use of a surfactant‐enhanced electrokinetic process with NaOH as electrolyte was effective in removing TPHs from low‐permeability soil.     

A new laboratory set-up for measurements of electrical, hydraulic, and osmotic fluxes in clays

If clays are subjected to flows of fluid, electrical charge, chemicals, or heat, in most cases, flows of different types occur simultaneously, even if only one driving force is acting. These are so-called coupled flows. Examples of coupling phenomena are streaming potential and electroosmosis, induced by the flows of fluid and electrical charge, respectively.

Since the 1960s, laboratory devices have been constructed to measure streaming potentials and/or electroosmosis in clays or clayey soils. Due to their mechanical and hydraulic properties, clays are not easy to work with. Consequently, laboratory devices have to deal with various complications. A new design for an experimental set-up is proposed. Contrary to earlier devices, the clay sample is mounted in a flexible wall permeameter, which avoids sidewall leakage caused by the possible swell or shrink of the clay. Gold-coated gauze electrodes completely cover the surfaces of the sample, which are in contact with the solution reservoirs that ensure one-dimensional flow. In addition, the thickness of the sample is monitored during the experiment. The chemical composition of the reservoir fluids is controlled during the experiment. The device is flexible with respect to changing the solutions of both reservoirs independently, applying different hydraulic gradients, and measuring or applying electrical potentials. Finally, it is possible to mount undisturbed clay samples in the set-up, keeping them in situ during the whole experiment.

With this set-up, an extensive program of measurements of coupling phenomena like streaming potentials, electroosmosis, and membrane potentials in a sodium montmorillonite is started. Preliminary results of streaming potential measurements are presented and demonstrate that the build-up of a streaming potential due to a hydraulic gradient is a reproducible process that influences the water flow through the clay, and that the extent of the streaming potential depends on the salt concentration of the permeating solution.