Thesis (M.Sc.)--Chulalongkorn University, 2009

Ferrocene is a metallic additive that has been used to boost the octane number of gasoline. Even though ferrocene is not an environmental contaminant of high concern, it can be found in soil contaminated with gasoline. Due to its organometallic properties, ferrocene may affect the phase behavior of other alkanes, contaminating the environment and limit their removal using surfactant-enhanced aquifer remediation (SEAR). Therefore, the aim of this work is to investigate the effects of ferrocene on the solubilization behavior and capacity of alkanes in micellar surfactant solutions. The equivalent alkane carbon number (EACN) of ferrocene was first determined and found to be 8.386. Subsequently, the phase behaviors of alkanes (as representative of gasoline) in a microemulsion system were investigated. The solubilization capacity and column study of alkanes with and without ferrocene were performed in 2AMA: 2AOT at 4 %wt as suitable surfactant system selected from the phase study. The efficiency removals of alkanes and total Fe (ferrocene) in column study were obtained in range of 74-95%. In this study, different parameters were studied, namely the concentrations of ferrocene, electrolytes, and the types of alkanes.