The Effects of Surface Phenomena on the Spreading of Oil on Water

摘要

An oil spill in the ocean does not spread from its source evenly. Some components thin out into fine films, while others coagulate into thick patches. Most predictive models at present incorporate information on the bulk properties, but they do not account for this actual uneven fractionation. The oils are composites made up of many compounds which have different chemical and surface properties. This report describes studies of the spreading of four kinds of crude extracted from around the world, as well as the spreading of a mixture of pure hydrocarbons and of diesel fuel. It concludes that spreading effects are not wholly determined by bulk properties, but are also affected by the properties of the individual components in the oil.