Saponin foam for soil remediation: On the use of polymer or solid particles to enhance resistance to pollutant destruction

Natacha Forey (1) , Olivier Atteia , Abdelaziz Omari , Henri Bertin

1 I2M - Institut de Mécanique et d'Ingénierie

Foams can be used to remediate aquifer pollution due to industrial leaks. However, when in contact with oily pollutants, foams may collapse and thus have a very limited life-time. A suitable formulation of biodegradable foam that resists oil contact is therefore needed. Hence, the ability of xanthan polymer and silica colloidal particles to stabilise foam against oil was investigated. Their performance in terms of stabilisation was evaluated via foam generation experiments in columns of porous medium, conducted with and without oil. The results show that the addition of xanthan polymer led to an increase in the viscosity of the solution, which thwarted the formation of foam. It did not improve the resistance of foam to oil, but increased altogether the resistance factor up to more than twice the original value. Concerning silica particles, it was demonstrated that they both noticeably increased resistance factor and moderately stabilised foam against oil by 20% at optimum concentration. As such, this study presents a new way to reinforce foam against oil for soil remediation issues.

Mots clés: Foam; Porous media; Xanthan; Colloidal particle; Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid; Soil remediation

Domaines: Sciences de l'environnement; Ingénierie de l'environnement

Natacha Forey, Olivier Atteia, Abdelaziz Omari, Henri Bertin. Saponin foam for soil remediation: On the use of polymer or solid particles to enhance resistance to pollutant destruction. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 2020, 228, ⟨10.1016/j.jconhyd.2019.103560⟩. ⟨hal-03064832⟩