The role of intra-NAPL diffusion on mass transfer from MGP residuals

Abstract

An experimental and computational study was performed to investigate the role of multi-component intra-NAPL diffusion on NAPL-water mass transfer. Molecular weight and the NAPL component concentrations were determined to be the most important parameters affecting intra-NAPL diffusion coefficients. Four NAPLs with different viscosities but the same quantified mass were simulated. For a spherical NAPL body, a combination of NAPL properties and interphase mass transfer rate can result in internal diffusion limitations. When the main intra-NAPL diffusion coefficients are in the range of self-diffusion coefficients (10−5 to 10−6 cm2/s), dissolution is not limited by internal diffusion except for high mass transfer rate coefficients (>180 cm/day). For a complex and relatively high viscous NAPL (>50 g/(cm s)), smaller intra-NAPL diffusion coefficients (<10−8) are expected and even low mass transfer rate coefficients (~6 cm/day) can result in diffusion-limited dissolution.