Herein are described compositions useful in the purification of hydrocarbon-contaminated liquids (e.g., oil-contaminated water), methods of their manufacture, and methods of their use. In one instance, the composition can include a porous agricultural substrate selected from the group consisting of walnut shell, pecan shell, apricot pit, peach pit, corn cob, and a mixture thereof; the porous agricultural substrate having an external surface and pores, wherein the external surface is hydrophilic; and an organo-amine carried within the pores of the porous agricultural substrate. These compositions are utilized as regenerable filter media in place of, for example, ground walnut media.

A green-engineered mulch product and methods for making same are disclosed. The mulch product includes a coating of aluminum-based water treatment residuals which makes the product green. Furthermore, coating aluminum-based water treatment residuals on mulch eliminates the problem of the low hydraulic conductivity of aluminum-based water treatment presiduals and makes it feasible to utilize its pollutant removal potential without requiring any modification to existing best management practices or additional maintenance.

Articles including a solid porous material having a selenium nanomaterial bound to a surface of and within the solid porous material. The article may be a include no polymeric stabilizer or proteinaceous stabilizer. The solid porous material may be a sponge, a film, a fabric, a non-woven material, or a metal-organic framework (MOF), or a combination thereof. The article may be produced by treating a solid porous material with an aqueous selenous acid solution and heating the solid porous material to form the selenium nanomaterial on the surface of and within the solid porous material.

An amine-functionalized adsorbent and a method for preparing the same are provided. The amine-functionalized adsorbent includes a metal-organic framework (MOF) material and polymeric amine, the crystal structure of the MOF material is a three-dimensional cage-like pore structure, and the polymeric amine is loaded inside the three-dimensional cage-like pore structure. The amine-functionalized adsorbent has high adsorption capacity and rapid adsorbing speed of carbon dioxide at room temperature.

Embodiments disclosed herein provide methods of making polymer-metal organic framework-gels (polymer-MOF-gels), the method comprising forming a metal solution comprising a metal salt, an acid, and a first solvent, and forming a product mixture comprising the metal solution, a polymer, and a carboxylic acid linker to produce the polymer-MOF-gel. Embodiments disclosed herein provide polymer-MOF-gels comprising a polymer and a metal organic framework (MOF) having pores, wherein at least a portion of the polymer is entrapped in the pores of the MOF.

A flexible material is disclosed comprising a flexible substrate, a sorbent comprising zirconium hydroxide and a binder, wherein the solids weight ratio of the binder to the zirconium hydroxide is in the range 1:1 to 1:120. Also disclosed is a process for production of a fabric, comprising: providing a flexible material, providing at least one sorbent dispersion comprising zirconium hydroxide and a binder, applying the sorbent dispersion to the flexible material to produce a treated flexible material, squeezing the treated flexible material under pressure, and passing the pressed treated flexible material through a stenter.

The invention relates to the use of a composite textile of natural and/or synthetic and/or artificial fibres and lignocellulose particles mixed with said fibres comprising more than 30 wt. % of said lignocellulose particles in order to trap the metals and/or metalloids and/or radionuclides and/or biocides present in water.

The method of the invention comprises the following steps:

(i) cutting the maize stalks so as the less leafy stalk segments, higher than 70 cm, stay on the field;
(ii) cutting the less leafy stalk segments as close to the ground as possible;
(iii) harvesting the less leafy stalk segments cut in step (ii);
(iv) cutting the in step (iii) harvested less leafy stalk segments into 5-50 mm stalk sections;
(v) providing a mechanical impact to the stalk sections of step (iv) to obtain a mix containing: f1. said spongy cores forming the superabsorbent pellets fraction, f2. said elongated fiber pieces forming the fibrous matter fraction, f3. and said leaf matter forming the leafy fraction, (vi) separating the 3 fractions from each other; (vii) recovering the three fractions f1-f2-f3;

The invention also pertains to the so obtained products and to their uses in treatments of liquids or gases.

The present invention discloses a method for preparing and using an absorbent material for apolar compounds or mixtures of apolar compounds, such as organic solvents, mineral oil and derivatives thereof, lubricant oils, edible oils, inter alia. The absorbent material is composed of an fabric matrix of high porosity, low density and high mechanical resistance. This matrix is rendered water-proof, thus acquiring the property of absorbing apolar compounds or mixtures of apolar compounds.

A water absorbing material that is suitable for being discarded by being flushed down a flush toilet is provided. The water absorbing material includes only an organic substance containing no nutrients.