Liquid purification or separation – Processes – Ion exchange or selective sorption
Patent
1996-05-22
1998-08-04
McCarthy, Neil
Liquid purification or separation
Processes
Ion exchange or selective sorption
210691, 210922, 210924, 210925, C02F 128
Patent
active
057888655
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to a method for separating hydrophobic liquids from a substantially polar solution and is particularly applicable to removing liquid hydrocarbons from contaminated bodies of water.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Over the years various approaches have been used to separate hydrophobic liquids from polar solutions. The resultant methodology has been applied to a number of fields ranging from pharmaceutical preparation to the removal of environmental contaminants. While these previously disclosed methods have proven useful for selected operations under controlled conditions, their applicability in more demanding situations is limited. In particular there exists a need for an efficient and economical process to remove hydrophobic liquids such as oil or petroleum products from bodies of water. Moreover these methods should permit the cost effective recycling of at least a portion of the recovered hydrophobic contaminant.
A steady demand for petroleum products among the industrialized nations has ensured a high volume of oil transfer with a corresponding release of material into the environment. The detrimental economic and ecological impact associated with such releases have generated several techniques for limiting the spread of the oil as well as minimizing the attendant damage. However such techniques are often labor intensive, expensive and provide less than optimal results. These problems increase exponentially when the volume of oil spilled is substantial as is the case with many tanker accidents. Further, current methods are often so inefficient that the natural actions of wind and waves disperse the oil before it can be removed. Accordingly, substantial amounts of hydrocarbons are introduced into the ecosystem despite careful monitoring and timely responses to inadvertent discharges.
As recent events illustrate, the contamination of natural bodies of water by petroleum products can cause extensive environmental damage and threaten wildlife over wide regions. Delicate wilderness areas are subject to exposure to oil and oil byproducts through spills and leaks from accidents, warfare, and dumping, as well as leakage from oil drilling operations. Illegal dumping of unwanted petroleum based products is a common problem in both natural bodies of water and manmade receptacles. Regardless of how the contaminating agent is introduced, economic damage may result through the destruction of aquatic life, compromised water supplies, fouled beaches, and damaged port facilities. More importantly, if left untreated or subjected to improper or inefficient removal techniques, such contamination can adversely impact the development of the effected ecosystem for many years.
Despite the concerted efforts of environmentalists, government officials and industry, current measures for oil spill abatement are generally ineffective in uncontrolled situations. While several strategies have been developed, technical and physical problems associated with the separation and removal of hydrophobic liquids from bodies of water have thus far proved intractable. Currently the most environmentally sound methods used to counter oil spills involve the containment and physical removal of the contaminant. However such techniques are often prohibitively expensive and ineffective in the face of adverse conditions. Other measures involve the physical disruption of the petroleum based product and its natural dissipation in the environment. Such methods include burning, chemical dispersion or the sinking of the oil. While these measures may be more cost efficient than physical removal of the oil, they are often far more disruptive to the environment. In addition to the continuing presence of petroleum in some form, the implementation of these dissipative clean up procedures often results in the generation of-toxic byproducts.
For instance, detergents are often used as a rapid and cost efficient way to disperse hydrophobic liquids in an aqueous environment. Yet the detergents employed for suc
REFERENCES:
patent: 5282975 (1994-02-01), Maryasin et al.
Golipad Pyotr Nikolaevich
Koriakin Yurii Nikolaevich
Orlov Oleg Georgievich
Smirnov Aleksandr Vitalievich
Vyalchenkov Leonid Tmofyeecvich
Boeckman, II Herbert F.
McCarthy Neil
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