Oil Spill Polymer Experiment
Oil Spill Polymer Experiment
Experiment Procedure
- Fill the glass 3/4-full with warm water.
- Pour a small amount of Marvel Mystery Oil onto the water so a layer of oil covers the water to about a half-inch (1 cm).
- Spread the Oil Spill Polymer evenly over the top of the oil. Let it sit undisturbed for one to two minutes.
- Moving all the way around the rim of the glass, carefully press the edge of the polymer into the water. Lift the solidified polymer and oil as one piece from the water and examine it closely. Over a paper towel, pull it apart and figure out what’s going on.
NOTE: Do this activity in a well ventilated area with no open flames of any kind. When you finish your fun, seal the polymer in a plastic bag and toss it into the trash. Wash your hands.
Materials List
- Oil Spill Polymer
- Clear Glass or Cup
- Supply of Warm Water
- Marvel Mystery Oil
- Paper Towels
- Zipper Lock Bags
- Adult supervision
How Does It Work?
source can be crude oil, diesel fuel, gasoline, etc. that’s floating on water. Hydrocarbons have three basic components: paraffinics, naptinics, and aromatics and the polymer is specifically formulated to bond to these components. The mechanism is three dimensional because of cross-link bonding in all directions. The polymer structures that are formed are referred to as diblock, triblock, branched, radial, and linear according to the manufacturer.
When the polymer comes in contact with a liquid hydrocarbon, the free hydrocarbons bond to the polymer in specific places forming a solid, water-free mass. The hydrophobic (water repelling) properties of the polymer cause it to float on water, but its density is high enough to allow it to move through the hydrocarbon to maximize the bonding sites. There is no need for mixing since the polymer bonds to free hydrocarbons on its own but doesn’t bond with water.
The chemical properties of absorption and adsorption are also in this polymer’s bag of tricks. It both absorbs and adsorbs the hydrocarbon material around it. Absorption occurs when one material so totally draws another material into it that you can’t really tell the difference between the two by looking at it. The polymer chemically draws hydrocarbons into it like a paper towel soaking up water. If a material adsorbs another material then it’s held only on the surfaces of the first material and not throughout the material. The Oil Spill Polymer also absorbs hydrocarbons on almost infinite surfaces both inside and outside of the polymer.
Take it Further!
Experiment
- Fill both glasses 3/4-full with water. Use warm water in one and cold water in the other.
- Pour a small amount of Marvel Mystery Oil onto the water in each cup so a layer of oil covers the water to about a half-inch (1 cm).
- Spread the Oil Spill Polymer evenly over the top of the oil in each cup. Let it sit undisturbed for one to two minutes. Keep a close eye on both polymer layers and note any differences between them. This is a way to improve your observation skills.
- Moving all the way around the rim of the glass of warm water, carefully press the edge of the polymer into the water. Lift the solidified polymer and oil as one piece from the warm water and examine it closely. Lay it on a paper towel and into a zip-lock bag when you’re through.
- Do the same thing with the polymer in the glass of cold water and – wait, a minute, something’s not right!
Materials List
- Oil Spill Polymer (ENVIRO-BOND 403™)
- Marvel Mystery Oil
- Two Identical Clear Glasses or Cups
- Cold Water
- Warm Water
- Paper Towels
- Zipper Lock Bags
- Adult supervision
How Does It Work?
There’s a big difference between the results from warm water and those from cold water. In lower temperatures such as those found in most oceans, the polymer can absorb the hydrocarbons and remove them from the water but it can’t form a single mass for quick and easy removal. Add to this the likelihood of wave action and you can see that dealing with an oil spill in an open ocean environment is a real challenge. New ideas are needed that create systems to combine this polymer with ways to get it to where it’s needed most on the ocean.
Take it Even Further!
Experiment
- Fill the glass 3/4-full with warm water.
- Pour a small amount of the vegetable oil onto the water so a layer of oil covers the water to about a half-inch (1 cm).
- Spread the Oil Spill Polymer evenly over the top of the oil. Let it sit undisturbed for one to two minutes.
- Moving all the way around the rim of the glass, carefully press the edge of the polymer into the – uh oh, that’s not right. What’s going on here?
- Before you mess with the polymer, take a close look at the boundary between the polymer and the water. Compare what you see using vegetable oil to what you saw using hydrocarbon oil.
Materials List
- Oil Spill Polymer (ENVIRO-BOND 403™)
- Vegetable Oil
- Clear Glass or Cup
- Warm Water
- Paper Towels
- Zipper Lock Bags
- Adult supervision
How Does It Work?
Even if you let it sit overnight, the polymer will not absorb vegetable oil from the water. This activity shows you that the polymer is specifically designed to react only to the chemical structure of hydrocarbons and has little or no effect on other oils. Hopefully, you know this is a good thing because if there were hydrocarbons in vegetable oil, anyone who cooked with it and ate the food probably wouldn’t need to cook another meal again – ever!
Additional Information
ENVIRO-BOND 403™ will bond to many different types of liquid hydrocarbons including crude oil, diesel fuel, and gasoline. However, do not use diesel or gasoline for any type of classroom (or science fair) demonstration due to fumes they release and their volatile nature. Instead, use something like the bottle of Marvel Mystery Oil included in the kit. This bright red oil/gasoline additive is easy to see and works very well for most of the suggested demonstrations. It does not give off an overbearing odor, either. NOTE: Marvel Mystery Oil should be handled with care! The demonstrator must abide by all of the manufacturer’s safe-handling recommendations and precautions.
Enviro-Bond 403 polymer is also used in treating oily sludge. It effectively treats oil drilling fluids and stabilizes any spilled or leaked liquid hydrocarbons that pose a threat to the environment.
Marvel Mystery Oil is a very convenient liquid hydrocarbon to use for demonstration purposes. As the Marvel Mystery Oil hydrocarbon molecules begin to bond with the polymer chain, the polymer itself becomes stiff and has the consistency of sponge cake. On the other hand, bonding with actual crude oil results in a more cohesive, solid mass which can be easily shaped into a ball and even bounced! On a large-scale crude oil cleanup, the solidified crude can be recovered and turned into a solid fuel source. According to the manufacturer, BTU values (a measure of heat produced) have been established for the polymer/crude oil mass.
Science Fair Connection
Observing and using the Oil Spill Polymer is pretty cool, but it isn’t a science fair project. You can create a science fair project by identifying a variable, or something that changes, in this experiment. Let’s take a look at some of the variable options that might work:
- Try different temperatures of water. How does the polymer react to higher or lower water temperatures? What’s the best water temperature to have so the polymer works most efficiently?
- Instead of using Marvel Mystery Oil, test different types of hydrocarbons such as grease or motor oil to see how effective the polymer might be.
That’s just a couple of ideas, but you aren’t limited to those! Try coming up with different ideas of variables and give them a try. Remember, you can only change one thing at a time. If you are testing different liquids, make sure that the other factors are remaining the same!
