Name: Rickey
Status: Other
Grade: Other
Location: OK
Country: United States
Date: Summer 2010
Question:
Would it be possible to create a bonding agent to oil so that it
is so attracted to its self that it would not be able spread in small
amounts. I know that by ionizing the air that dust particles will attract
to one another until they form a larger particle and can no longer remain
airborne. Can we Ionize the oil and form a bond so that we could pull the
entire mass together for easier clean up in the gulf?
Replies:
The electrical behavior of dust particles in air, and oil in water are very
different. A detailed explanation is far beyond the scope of a short answer
format such as NEWTON. Generally, the ignition of two different phases is
very complicated. Even your example of ionizing air so that dust particles
would form larger particles is only true under very special conditions. For
example, dust (such as flour) in air can form an explosive set of
conditions. If the problem were easy the Gulf fires would not be making the
front pages of the papers.
NEWTON is an electronic community for Science, Math, and Computer Science K-12 Educators, sponsored and operated by Argonne National Laboratory's Educational Programs, Andrew Skipor, Ph.D., Head of Educational Programs.
