[feb]Oil Spill

Question 1

context?

Answer 1

A glass furnace pipe of Travancore Titanium Products Ltd (TTP), a public sector unit making titanium dioxide, broke leading to a major oil spill into the sea and parts of coastal area in Thiruvananthapuram.

Question 2

How is oil spill controlled in general?

Answer 2

1. Skimmers : can be extracted or skimmed easily with the help of skimmers or oil scoops. These skimmers are fitted onto boats to remove the floating oil or greasy contaminants.
2. Sorbents: Materials that can absorb liquids are termed as sorbents.peat moss, vermiculite (straw), and hay.
3. In situ burning: is the process of burning spilled oil where it is on the ocean.
4. Dispersion: Chemical dispersion is achieved by applying chemicals designed to remove oil from the water surface by breaking the oil into small droplets.

Question 3

What is Furnace oil/fuel oil?

Answer 3

• consists residues from crude-oil distillation.
• used primarily for steam boilers in power plants, aboard ships, and in industrial plants.
• Commercial fuel oils usually are blended with other petroleum fractions to produce the desired viscosity and flash point.
• Flash point is usually higher than that of kerosene.

Question 4

what is flash point?

Answer 4

temperature at which substance catches fire