Liquid purification or separation – With alarm – indicator – register – recorder – signal or... – Responsive to fluid flow
Patent
1992-04-21
1993-10-12
Silverman, Stanley S.
Liquid purification or separation
With alarm, indicator, register, recorder, signal or...
Responsive to fluid flow
2105021, 210924, E02B 1504
Patent
active
052522156
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to material for use in adsorbing spillages of liquid organic substances.
2. The Prior Art
A major pollution problem is the spillage of large amounts of oil such as when being transported in bulk on the sea or on land, The damage caused by such spillages is well documented. There have been numerous attempts at providing methods and materials to overcome this problem. Suggestions have been materials to adsorb the spilled oil, substances designed to enable the oil to mix with water and physical barriers designed to inhibit the spread of oil for example when a spillage occurs at sea. One material that is available commercially is that marketed by the 3M Company of the USA under the trade mark "POWERSORB" or "OILSORB". This may consist of layers of fibrous polypropylene encased in suitable netting and shaped as long elongate systems designed to float on the surface of water and act as a physical barrier to the spread of the oil as well as being designed to adsorb the oil. The adsorbency characteristics of the polypropylene has been on of the attributes to their successful use. While oil spillages are the most well recognised problem, spillages of other large quantities, of generally liquid organic materials can also be environmentally serious. The materials include large amounts of vegetable oils, refined oils and such like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a material having good adsorbency for oil and other organic materials.
In accordance with this invention there is provided a method for adsorbing hydrophobic substances in liquid form, comprising subjecting the liquid to contact with an adsorbent material comprising fibres formed into entangled bodies call knops.
"Knops" are small balls of entangled fibres, i.e., fibres which are wrapped and/or felted on themselves, and are essentially spherical in shape.
Knops can be manufactured by machinery of the general type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,857 for the manufacture of longtailed neps, and it is possible to increase the versatility of application of the fibers to adsorb organic or synthetic oils by this means. The material can be used in any loose, uncontained form.
The loose fibrous material in knop form has its additional containment attributes gained by having a spherical fibre orientation.
The fibrous material in knop form has increased buoyancy attributes in a water medium compared to that of fibrous material not in knopped form.
Variations in the process for making knops can cause the knops to have a wide range of densities in order to allow optimised oil adsorbency for a range of oil viscosities.
The fibrous material can be modified by including the use of chemicals, such as water repellents, to modify the surface characteristics of the fibres and enhance the oil pick-up or bouyancy of the material in water.
The fibrous material can be used in conjunction with a containment device made of netting or porous material shaped into an elongated system or pad to allow oil and oil water mixes to penetrate the netting.
The fibrous material can be used in conjunction with other fibres or buoyancy aids to increase the oil adsorbancy or knop buoyancy in water.
The fibrous material can be used in conjunction with bacterial nutrients such as Inipol 22 to allow bacteria to break down the oil.
The fibrous material can be used as a filter to filter oil from and oil and water mixture.
The fibrous material can be used in with reused, dyed or undyed fibrous materials in knop form.
The fibrous material is preferably knops of wool. Knops have a number of uses primarily as a fill such as in upholstery, pillows and other household articles, but their very high adsorbancy character for organic liquids, particularly oil, more particularly crude oil, has never been suggested before.
It has been known that wool has an affinity for oil, particularly if some of the natural wool grease remains on the fibre. After forming to knops this affinity increases greatly.
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Carnaby Garth A.
Hamilton Maree A.
McFarlane Ian D.
Nessler Cynthia L.
Silverman Stanley S.
Wool Research Organisation of New Zeland, Inc.
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