A method for absorbing liquids, such as liquid hydrocarbons, includes applying recycled carpet material to the liquid. The recycled carpet material is prepared by shredding carpet and removing fibers from the shredded carpet to obtain carpet backing material. The carpet backing material may be further treated to remove fibers. The carpet backing material is then applied to the liquid.

A sorbent product having a sensor array for detecting a sorbate. The sorbent product includes a sorbent body configured to absorb the sorbate and a sensor array integrated with the sorbent body. The sensor array includes a plurality of sensing elements, an electric power source in electrical communication with the plurality of sensing elements, and a controller configured to detect a change in an electrical property of at least one of the plurality of sensing elements and provide a signal containing information based on the detected change.

Disclosed are a sorbent produced by recycling waste paper, which is an eco-friendly recycling paper resource, to adsorb and remove a marine spilled oil and other types of oil and a method of producing the same. The oil sorbent is produced by hydrophobizing a biomass material such as waste paper using a gas-grafting method. Compared to the oil sorbent of the prior art formed of synthetic resin, it is possible to provide excellent oil adsorption selectivity, a high oil adsorption rate, and a low water absorption rate. Therefore, an incineration process for processing the waste oil sorbent after use is easy advantageously. The oil sorbent generates less harmful substances during combustion because the eco-friendly material is used. Since a biomass material is hydrophobized using vegetable fatty acids, decomposition is performed fast within a short time in a landfill process, and there is no risk of environmental pollution.

A method of recovering crude oil from crude oil drenched adsorbent and simultaneously regenerating the adsorbent to render it suitable for re-use in crude oil adsorption. The method includes contacting crude oil drenched adsorbent, in the form of solid nanofibrous expanded polystyrene drenched with adsorbed crude oil, with a non-polar solvent, thereby obtaining regenerated crude oil lean adsorbent and crude oil rich solvent.

The invention relates to a device for taking up oil from a water surface, comprising a container for receiving the oil and an oil-transporting means, wherein a portion of the oil-transporting means can be brought into fluid communication with the water surface and another portion of the oil-transporting means is disposed within the container, wherein the oil can be transported into the container via the oil-transporting means, wherein the oil-transporting means is formed from a hydrophobic fabric, the surface of which comprises filament-shaped and/or grid-like structures which are designed in such a way that they retain a gas layer on the surface of the hydrophobic fabric under water. The invention further relates to a corresponding method for taking up oil from a water surface.

The apparatus for removal of garbage from water comprises a garbage collecting system in a boat with at least one inlet to allow the liquid to flow into the garbage collecting system, a sump pump for pulling liquid into and through the garbage collecting system, and to an outlet of the system, and a collecting system to collect the garbage, wherein the sump pump pumps at such a speed to maintain the highest point on the bottom edge of the inlet at a level below the water line outside the body, and to maintain the water level within the body slightly below that of the water outside the body.

Solar thermal devices are formed from a block of wood, where the natural cell lumens of the wood form an interconnected network that transports fluid or material therein. The block of wood can be modified to increase absorption of solar radiation. Combining the solar absorption effects with the natural transport network can be used for various applications. In some embodiments, heating of the modified block of wood by insolation can be used to evaporate a fluid, for example, evaporating water for extraction, distillation, or desalination. In other embodiments, heating of the modified block of wood by insolation can be used to change transport properties of a material to allow it to be transported in the interconnected network, for example, heating crude oil to adsorb the oil within the block of wood.

Disclosed is a hydrophilic material oil fence having a double-porous mesh. The hydrophilic material oil fence having the double-porous mesh includes a floating body floating on a water surface, and a skirt coupled to an upper portion and a lower portion of the floating body and made of a hydrophilic material through which a hydrophilic fluid selectively passes. A mesh hole size of a partial region of the skirt and a mesh hole size of the other region of the skirt are different.

Oil-absorbent skimmers of the present invention include an upper oil-absorbent flotation head that floats on water and several absorbent strands attached to the underside of the flotation head. The flotation head has a liquid-permeable cover with absorbent strips inside. The absorbent strips and strands are made of oil-absorbing materials that resist absorption of water. The passive oil-absorbent skimmers may be free-floating and may be used in stormwater catch basins, water holding tanks, vaults, sumps, bilges and the like for capturing hydrocarbons such as oil and oil-based liquids.

A sorbent product having a sensor array for detecting a sorbate. The sorbent product includes a sorbent body configured to absorb the sorbate and a sensor array integrated with the sorbent body. The sensor array includes a plurality of sensing elements, an electric power source in electrical communication with the plurality of sensing elements, and a controller configured to detect a change in an electrical property of at least one of the plurality of sensing elements and provide a signal containing information based on the detected change.