Week 1 and 2 Update

Hello RETs! I have been a little MIA but that’s because I have been getting the full research experience: I’ve been in the lab all day, running multiple trials and reading literature. Needless to say I have a GREATER appreciation for science and the scientist who spend their time doing research – it can be a lot – so shout to all my researchers and THANK YOU for your contribution!

Getting ready to grind some iron bentonite the good ol’ fashion way with a mortar and pestle.

Pyrolysis Treatment

Pyrolytic treatment of crude-oil contaminated soils offers great potential for rapid remediation (for contamination) with lower energy requirements than incineration. And it does not require the presence of oxygen but rather nitrogen which is already abundant in our air.

This is the furnace used for pyrolysis at a temp between 300 and 330 degrees Celsius.

Process

Step1 :

Ion-exchange (Fe(III) Nitrate + Benotnite; Cu(II) Nitrate + Benotnite) Metal with DI water, stir for 5 minutes, then add water (ORDER MATTERS). Leave stirring for 24hrs.

After 24hrs you will vacuum out all the water and dry out.

Step 2:

Contamination of clays with 0.1% wt or 1000 mg/kg using pyrene C₁₆H₁₀ (aromatic hydrocarbon) hexacosane C₂₆H₅₄(aliphatic/cyclic hydrocarbon) . Use appropriate solvent (acetone or hexane) for each contaminant.

Contaminated iron bentonite with 0.10g of pyrene.

Step 3:

Pyrolysis by setting a temperature between 328C and 330, running that at a rate of 11-15 degrees C/min and holding it for 15 minutes.

I got to successfully set up the furnace by myself and my mentor Sara double checked it was good to go.

Step 4:

Extractions, converting our solid product into a solution using a drying agent and mix of acetone and hexanes using an Accelerated Solvent Extractor (ASE).