(511t) Convective-Diffusive Effects On Performance Of The Ek Remediation Process

In a previous work, competing driving forces that affect the motion of the solute species* has been identified in electrokinetics processes. Pressure, buoyancy and electrostatic driving forces are need to understand the transport phenomena taking place in an electrokinetic cell. The role of these driving forces the contaminant dispersion in soil matrix need further evaluation. The hydrodynamic of the system have shown several instances for potential flow reversals; however, the implications of such phenomena on the separation process and therefore clean up of soil have not been reported. This contribution concentrates on the study of the different driving forces controlling the electrokinetic process in a cell under the most representative field conditions. In particular, this work evaluates the influence of magnitude of the different system parameters and how they may promote distinct mixing and/or separation effect. Afterwards, the information is used to predict optimal times of separation of ions of different charges. A rectangular capillary model is used in this study and based on the selection of values of the parameter space it presents and discusses several limiting cases related to the flow regimes reported in an earlier contribution. Several results yield interesting solute dispersion cases.

? Oyanader, M., P. Arce, and A. Dzurik, ?Avoiding Pitfalls In Electrokinetic Remediation: Robust Design And Operation Criteria Based On First Principles For Maximizing Performance In A Rectangular Geometry?, Electrophoresis, 2003, 24, 3457