A Novel Graphite-Based Sorbent for Oil Spill Cleanup

The performance of an innovative material based on expanded graphite, Grafysorber® G+ (Directa Plus), has been tested through laboratory, tank, and confinement tests for oil removal in case of an oil spill and water treatment. In addition to the ability to retain oil, the possibility of reusing this material after regeneration via squeezing was also evaluated. As a comparison, the same experimental tests were conducted using polypropylene flakes (PP), the material currently most used to deal with spill accidents. Oils with different chemical and physical properties were used, namely kerosene, diesel, and crude oil. From the laboratory tests, the capacity of Grafysorber® G+ to retain oil was found to be directly proportional to the viscosity of the latter, with adsorption values ranging from 76.8 g/g for diesel to 50.8 g/g for kerosene, confirming the potential of the innovative material compared to the PP. Cyclical use tests have confirmed certain reusability of the material, even if its adsorbent capacity decreases significantly after the first cycle and continues to decrease in subsequent cycles, but a less marked manner. Finally, some considerations based on the adsorption capacities were found to suggest that the adoption of the new material is also economically preferable, resulting in savings of 20 to 40% per kg of hydrocarbon treated.

Modification of Irind Mine Pumice Surface

In the last decade, a continuous increasing research activity is focused on the surface modification of natural porous materials for the efficient removal of oil contaminants from water. A continuous in-situ oil/water separation technique for oil spill cleanup had been designed using surface modified Irind mine pumice as a sorbent. Irind mine pumice is an aluminosilicate rock, with well-developed porosity, mechanical strength, high buoyancy, chemically inert and eco-friendly, therefore it must exhibit certain water-and oil absorption capacities. The modified pumice absorbs a broad variety of oils and organic solvents with high oil absorption capacity and negligible water take-up at both static and dynamic conditions. Irind mine pumice have been used with grain sizes ranging from 2.5 ... 5.0 mm. Oligomethylhydride siloxane is used as a modifier.

One-step fabrication of eco-friendly superhydrophobic fabrics for high-efficiency oil/water separation and oil spill cleanup

Oily wastewater and oil spill caused by oil leakage accidents pose an extremely harmful to human health and environment. Thus, it is very important to exploit superhydrophobic separation materials and...

Recent Developments and Advancements in Graphene-Based Technologies for Oil Spill Cleanup and Oil–Water Separation Processes

The vast demand for petroleum industry products led to the increased production of oily wastewaters and has led to many possible separation technologies. In addition to production-related oily wastewater, direct oil spills are associated with detrimental effects on the local ecosystems. Accordingly, this review paper aims to tackle the oil spill cleanup issue as well as water separation by providing a wide range of graphene-based technologies. These include graphene-based membranes; graphene sponges; graphene-decorated meshes; graphene hydrogels; graphene aerogels; graphene foam; and graphene-coated cotton. Sponges and aerogels modified by graphene and reduced graphene oxide demonstrated effective oil water separation owing to their superhydrophobic/superoleophilic properties. In addition, oil particles are intercepted while allowing water molecules to penetrate the graphene-oxide-coated metal meshes and membranes thanks to their superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic properties. Finally, we offer future perspectives on oil water separation that are hindering the advancements of such technologies and their large-scale applications.

Facile Synthesis of Silica Composites with Oil Sorption Efficiency from a Vital Agricultural Waste of Corn Stalk Cultivated in Bishoftu, Ethiopia

This study is attempted to extract the amorphous silica composites using the combined HNO3 leaching-calcination (600°C/6 h) method from corn stalk harvested in Bishoftu, Ethiopia, owning to its profuse dumping, less cost, and negative environmental implications. The resultant composite characteristics such as amorphous nature are connected via the grain boundary which produces an agglomerated structure that has a disordered morphology, and the presence of siloxane and silanol groups, as well as additional functional groups, is reported. The synthesized product is applied in the removal of oil from synthetic oily wastewater (SYOWW) using batch mode delivering a maximum oil removal of up to 99%. The outcome of the study features the potential acclimatization of the Ethiopian corn stalk as a substitute precursor for the production of silica composites which has a potential oil adsorption capacity that can be used for oil spill cleanup.