The present invention provides improved methods for purifying and/or removing oily particles, and/or contaminants suspended or dissolved in water. In particular the process relates to an additive composition that has the appropriate surfactant characteristics for effectively removing an oil phase from an oil/aqueous mixed phase via foam fractionation. According to the invention, a hydrophobically modified polymer that acts as an associative thickener is combined with surfactant in appropriate ratios to facilitate oil removal for water purification in any of a number of commercial, environmental and industrial applications.

The present invention provides improved methods for purifying and/or removing oily particles, and/or contaminants suspended or dissolved in water. In particular the process relates to an additive composition that has the appropriate surfactant characteristics for effectively removing an oil phase from an oil/aqueous mixed phase via foam fractionation. According to the invention, a hydrophobically modified polymer that acts as an associative thickener is combined with surfactant in appropriate ratios to facilitate oil removal for water purification in any of a number of commercial, environmental and industrial applications.

A floating-oil recovery device includes: a bubble-curtain generation mechanism configured to discharge air into water to generate a bubble curtain in the water so as to increase a thickness of a film of floating oil while regulating spread of the floating oil; and an ejector configured to recover an oil-water mixed fluid having the floating oil and the water mixed with each other by jetting high-velocity water toward the film of floating oil enclosed with the bubble curtain to destroy the film of floating oil.

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 present invention includes a method of controlling an oil spill through introduction of a plurality of magnetizable particles into the oil spill in an amount sufficient to form a colloidal mixture. An absorbent is also introduced into the oil spill to form an absorbent mixture. A magnetic field can be applied to the system to move, manipulate, or otherwise control the absorbent mixture in response to movement of the magnetic field.

An oil absorbent product and a method of removing oil contaminants from a water flow are disclosed, in which the product according to the invention is placed in a filter composition and the saturated product can be regenerated for further use. Uses of the method and the product for the removal of oil contamination from water and for the absorption of oil spills, are also mentioned.

The present invention includes a method of controlling an oil spill through introduction of a plurality of magnetizable particles into the oil spill in an amount sufficient to form a colloidal mixture. An absorbent is, also introduced into the oil spill to form an absorbent mixture. A magnetic field can be applied to the system to move, manipulate, or otherwise control the absorbent mixture in response to movement of the magnetic field.

A method of fabricating an foam includes providing a foam comprising a base material. The base material is coated with an inorganic material using at least one of an atomic layer deposition (ALD), a molecular layer deposition (MLD), or sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) process. The SIS process includes at least one cycle of exposing the foam to a first metal precursor for a first predetermined time and a first partial pressure. The first metal precursor infiltrates at least a portion of the base material and binds with the base material. The foam is exposed to a second co-reactant precursor for a second predetermined time and a second partial pressure. The second co-reactant precursor reacts with the first metal precursor, thereby forming the inorganic material on the base material. The inorganic material infiltrating at least the portion of the base material. The inorganic material is functionalized with a material.

An electromagnetic pulsed-wave system having an electromagnetic boom for generating a time-varying pulsed-wave to control a colloidal mixture disposed in water and a depository. The electromagnetic boom comprising a plurality of electrically coupled solenoids disposed at the water for providing electromagnetic pulses to generate the time-varying pulsed-wave to transport the colloidal mixture. The depository having an electromagnetic ramp magnetically coupled with the electromagnetic boom and a separation receptacle for separating magnetized particles from the colloidal mixture.

A process is provided for separating hydrophobic material from a mixture of hydrophobic and hydrophilic material using peptide-based amphiphilic organogelators.