Integrating Energy and Turbulence Effects into the Adsorption of Crude Oils by Organic-Based Sorbents: Experimental and Modeling Insights

This study investigates oil-spill remediation using modified organoclays, integrating bench-scale experiments with predictive modeling while explicitly considering energy and turbulence effects. Aswan clay was functionalized with a quaternary ammonium surfactant (supported via chloroform treatment) to enhance hydrophobicity and hydrocarbon affinity. The modified clay, evaluated in powder form, was tested as an oil spill adsorbent against two Egyptian crude oils: Marine Belayim (MB) and Land Belayim (LB). Systematic experiments were conducted by varying surfactant-to-clay ratios (0–30 wt%) and oil-to-sorbent loadings (25–100%) to determine adsorption efficiency (η), capacity (q), and demulsification behavior. Results showed that MB crude (low asphaltene, high resin/asphaltene ratio) consistently achieved superior adsorption (>97% under high-energy mixing), whereas LB crude (high asphaltene, low resin/asphaltene ratio) exhibited lower uptake due to stable emulsion formation. A linked modeling framework—comprising closed-form equations, statistical inference, and dynamic simulations—was developed to capture adsorption trends and predict performance under varying energy conditions. Energy and turbulence metrics (turbulence intensity, turbulent kinetic energy, dissipation rate ε, and wave/wind energy relations) were incorporated to explain droplet breakup and enhanced adsorption in realistic marine scenarios.