Solution of Hydrocarbons in a Hydrocarbon-Water System with Changing Phase Composition due to Evaporation

摘要

Pure water was brought into contact with a four-component liquid hydrocarbon phase comprised of methylcyclohexane, ethylbenzene, tetralin, and 1-methylnaphthalene. The headspace above the hydrocarbon phase was continually purged with N2 to provide a controlled evaporative loss. Hydrocarbon concentrations in the water and hydrocarbon phases changed due to dissolution and evaporation and were measured as a function of time. A surface renewal mass transfer model is congruent with the observed hydrocarbon concentrations in the aqueous phase. Hydrocarbon-phase composition and component interactions are important in determining the time dependence of the aqueous-phase composition. The results have implications concerning the fate of components of petroleum products discharged in the aquatic environment.