Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Tools For Predicting Emulsification Capacity Of Crude Oil Exposed To Sunlight: Impact Of Photoproduced Carboxylic Acids On Emulsion Stability, Chaka Nacaya Brown

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The role of acids in the formation of emulsions from sunlight exposed petroleum is not well understood. To elucidate the impact of sunlight on the formation of emulsions from petroleum, Macondo, its surrogate and NIST 1619b and 2717a were separately exposed to simulated sunlight for up to 48 hours as a film dispersed into a quartz dish, or a film spread on water. Emulsion stability was scored from 0-5. All exposures demonstrated a correlation between emulsion stability and sunlight exposure with no observable emulsification in absence of photoproduction due to sunlight exposure. Aqueous studies of DOC_HC (dissolved organic carbon …

Isolation And Determination Of The Composition And Structural Components That Comprise Dissolved Organic Matter Using Normal Phase Liquid Chromatography, Jonathan A. Long Jr

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A comprehensive understanding of the reactivity associated with organic carbon is critical for recognizing the behavior of newly formed compounds in aquatic environments. In an effort to study the reactivity of complex mixtures, understanding the different processes affiliated with them are key. Understanding the reactivity associated with organic carbon can help to improve chromatographic separation. Using a combination of light and heavy crude oil, a separation procedure was developed to obtain a complete representation of the aromatic subfraction of the crude oil sample. The crude oils were separated into four distinct fractions based on the number of condensed aromatic rings …

Mechanisms And Transients Involved In The Solar Conversion Of Petroleum Films In Aquatic Systems, Phoebe Z. Ray

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The behavior of Deepwater Horizon crude oil and other sources of oil were investigated when exposed to sunlight in aquatic systems under environmentally relevant conditions. This research decoupled the abiotic and biotic weathering modifications of oil by focusing solely on the photochemical transformations of oil in aquatic systems. Photochemical rates and mechanisms were measured through the determination of reactive transients. Total hydroxyl radical formation was studied using high benzoic acid concentrations and varying exposure time. Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanomaterials were added to the system in an effort to determine if the photocatalyst would enhance oil photodegradation. Photochemical production …

Enhancement In Degradation Of Environmental Pollutants: Fenton Degradation Of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene And Photodegradation Of Deepwater Horizon Crude Oil, Sarah M. King

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Pollution poses serious threats to both the environmental and the organisms that depend on their environment for survival. Due to the toxicity of most contaminants, there is a dire need for remediation of polluted sites. Remediation studies were conducted on two high priority pollutants: 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and crude oil.

TNT was the most common explosive used in the 20^th century. Continuous contamination has resulted in an urgent need for remediation. Fenton reagent provides an advanced oxidation process that is capable of remediating recalcitrant explosives, such as TNT. One drawback of Fenton chemistry is that the reaction requires acidic pH …