Electrochemical Migration of Oil and Oil Products in Soil

The electrochemical migration behavior of oil and its products (industrial oil, diesel fuel, kerosene, etc.) in dispersive soils was studied by experimental methods. The main factors affecting the electrochemical migration of oil in soils, including fertile ones, were under study. The main variables considered were the chemical and mineral composition of a soil; its genesis, dispersiveness, and physical and physico‐chemical properties; initial water/oil ratio in the soil; oil aging; and the composition and initial properties of oils of different fields. It was proved that oil or its products migrate under a direct electric current field in all studied dispersive water‐oil‐saturated soils (ranging from heavy clays to silty sands, including fertile soil horizons). Moreover, the effectiveness of oil redistribution ranged from 25 to 75% and more, depending on various internal and external factors. Oil moved in the form of small droplets in the DC field alongside the electroosmotic filtrate from the anode to the cathode, being carried away by the electroosmotic flow due to viscous friction. Some dissolved oil moved in the same direction as the electroosmotic flow, due to its partial dissolution in water at an increased pH value formed in the cathodic zone.