ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Fluidization behavior of oil-contaminated sand

M. Hartman, O. Trnka, and M. Pohořelý

Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, CZ-165 02 Prague, Czech Republic

E-mail: hartman@icpf.cas.cz

Received: 2 June 2006  Revised: 5 September 2006  Accepted: 21 September 2006

Abstract: Hydrodynamic behavior of oil-polluted particles of sand was investigated in transparent glass column. The onset of fluidization of sand beds increased with the oil content of the bed. An increase of cohesive forces related to the higher content of liquid (oil) caused deterioration of the quality of fluidization. An empirical correlation was developed to predict the dimensionless gas velocity that keeps the bed of sticky particles fluidized. Results of this work can be employed for the design of fluidized-bed remediation units for oil-polluted sands and soils.

Keywords: fluidized bed - hydrodynamics - oil pollution - sand

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-007-0004-9

Chemical Papers 61 (2) 93–97 (2007)