Slower drainage implies greater foam stability. This work also involves experiments in sand packs and numerical simulation of the process. Current work emphasizes experiments designed to clarify mechanisms by which gasoline, chlorinated solvents, or other liquid contaminants immiscible with water drain through sand or soil to the wafer table as a result of spills or leaking underground storage tanks. A related research area involves numerical simulation of flow, transport, and chemical reaction including biodegradation in porous media such as ground water aquifers. This work involves collaboration with faculty in the department of computational and applied mathematics and has as its objective development of an improved understanding of processes for cleaning up contaminated aquifers.
Bioremediation is one cleanup process that has received considerable attention in recent years.
We are currently conducting experiments to investigate the effect of solubilization of liquid hydrocarbons in surfactant micelles on the rate of biodegradation of the hydrocarbons. Finally, some aspects of emulsion and foam stability are being investigated. In particular, both experimental and theoretical work are being carried out on the drainage of thin liquid films.