Ottofuel 2: Evaporation into Air and Diffusion into Sea Water
Abstract
The factor which controls the buildup of Ottofuel vapor in the atmosphere of any environment in which Ottofuel is spilled is the rate of evaporation of material from the spill. In order to obtain more information on the quantitative aspects of the problem, the evaporation rate of Ottofuel II at 25-27 C was determined by weight loss measurements in a nitrogen atmosphere. After an initial period of 3-4 hours, the evaporation rate was found to be 0.18 g/hr/sq ft of the spill. An initially higher weight loss is attributed in part to water that was dissolved in the Ottofuel and in part to the presence of a volatile impurity that could not be removed by drying the liquid with calcium sulfate. The observed evaporating rate was in good agreement with the rate of 0. 52 g/hr/sq ft reported for propylene glycol dinitrate (PGDN) at 35 C, and with the rate of 0.135 g/hr/sq ft calculated for PGDN at 25 C using Langmuir's method of calculating the evaporation rate of liquids into a stagnant atmosphere. (PGDN is the main ingredient of Ottofuel - 76 percent by weight.) A new technique, based on differential pulse polarography, was developed for the quantitation of PGDN in sea water. This technique was used to follow the diffusion of Ottofuel through a stagnant layer of sea water. Under favorable circumstance (i.e., complete coverage), the covering of an Ottofuel spill with sea water reduces the evaporation rate by a factor of 1/10,000.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 14, 1973
- Accession Number
- AD0911814
Entities
People
- H. P. Hirschler
- Sydney Milligan
- Walter G. Cox
Organizations
- Naval Underwater Systems Center