Method of manufacturing a sorbent material

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of cleaning the environment, and more particularly to a sorbent material for collecting petroleum and petroleum products, and to a method of producing the same. The method includes saturating a basalt fiber canvas with a hydrophobizing liquid and subsequently drying the same, wherein the basalt fibers of the canvas have a diameter of 0.2-2 microns and a density not exceeding 20-25 kg/m.sup.3; prior to saturation, the canvas is first fluffed using compressed air until a density of 12-15 kg/m.sup.3 is reached; the saturation using a hydrophobizing liquid is performed by introducing the hydrophobizing liquid into the pre-fluffed basalt fibers of the canvas in the form of aerosol particles via compressed air; and the subsequent drying of the saturated canvas is performed using compressed air, preferably at a temperature of 65 C.-75 C. The technical effect of invention is a simplified method with a broader field of application. The material manufactured in accordance with this method is characterized in that the volume of hydrophobizing additive is selected in order to achieve a density of the finished material which is in the range of 10-70 kg/m.sup.3, or in the range of 10-15 kg/m.sup.3, in the range of 30-70 kg/m.sup.3. This improves the sorbent characteristics of the material.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a sorbent material, the method comprising: saturating a basalt fiber canvas with a hydrophobizing liquid, thereby obtaining a saturated basalt fiber canvas, and subsequently drying the saturated basalt fiber canvas, thereby obtaining a sorbent material suitable for collecting petroleum and/or a petroleum product, wherein the basalt fiber canvas comprises basalt fibers having a diameter of from 0.2 to 2 microns and a density 25 kg/m.sup.3 or less, the basalt fiber of the basalt fiber canvas is first fluffed, prior to saturation, with compressed air, thereby obtaining a density of from 12 to 15 kg/m.sup.3, the saturating of the basalt fiber canvas with the hydrophobizing liquid comprises introducing the hydrophobizing liquid in the form of aerosol particles via compressed air after the fluffing of the basalt fibers of the canvas, and the subsequent drying of the saturated basalt fiber canvas is with compressed air.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the subsequent drying of the saturated basalt fiber canvas with compressed air is at a temperature of from 65 C. to 75 C.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a volume of the hydrophobizing liquid introduced with compressed air into the basalt fibers after the fluffing is selected such that a density of the sorbent material is 10 kg/m.sup.3 or less.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the subsequent drying of the pre-fluffed and saturated basalt fibers of the canvas with a flow of compressed air is performed in suspension, which is followed by deposition of the basalt fibers onto a mesh of a metal and by mechanical consolidation such that a density of the sorbent material is from 10 to 70 kg/m.sup.3.

5. A material manufactured by the method of claim 1, the material comprising: a hydrophobizing additive, a basalt fiber canvas comprising basalt fibers having a diameter of from 0.2 to 2 microns and a density 25 kg/m.sup.3 or less, which is pre-fluffed first using compressed air to achieve a density of from 12 to 15 kg/m.sup.3, wherein the hydrophobizing additive is contained in the material in the form of a saturation of the fluffed basalt fiber canvas by aerosol particles of a liquid hydrophobizing agent, said saturation being followed by subsequent drying using compressed air, and wherein a volume of the hydrophobizing additive is such that a density of the manufactured material of from 10 to 70 kg/m.sup.3.

6. The material of claim 5, wherein the basalt fibers of the canvas are fluffed and saturated first, then subjected to subsequent drying with a flow of compressed air in suspension, which is followed by further deposition of the basalt fibers onto a mesh of a metal and by mechanical consolidation such that the density of the manufactured material is from 10 to 70 kg/m.sup.3.

7. The material of claim 5, wherein the basalt fibers of the canvas are fluffed and saturated first, then subjected to subsequent drying in the form of basalt fibers at a temperature of from 65 C. to 75 C.

Description

EMBODIMENTS OF INVENTION

(1) Since absorbent pillows and absorbent mats useful to remove petroleum and petroleum product spills from water surface are used by means of deployment on a surface of such spills, density of adsorbent material is supposed to be within the range of 10 to 15 kg/m.sup.3. In addition, a shell of these articles may be manufactured using fibrous materials, including meshes, fabrics or non-woven materials or a combination thereof that should provide unhindered access of petroleum or petroleum product to adsorbent material.

(2) The structure of internal voids of a material based on fibers of basalt rock formations having a density of 10 to 15 kg/m.sup.3 provide for sorption capacity of an article within the range of 140 to 150, which is greater by 30% than the similar characteristics of known materials and articles.

(3) Optimal solution in case of the manufacture of oil-spill booms is use of a material based on fibers of basalt rock formations, which may be produced by the above-described method in order to achieve a density of the material within the range of 30 to 70 kg/m.sup.3. A shell for oil-spill booms is made of meshes, fabrics or non-woven materials or a combination thereof that should provide unhindered access of petroleum or petroleum product to adsorbent material. This particular structure of the oil-spill boom offers sorption capacity of such articles within the range of 120 to 130, which is greater by 10-15% than the similar characteristics of known materials and articles.

(4) In addition, a reduction of oil-spill boom material density below 30 kg/m.sup.3 opens up the possibility of infiltration of water in an amount of 5 to 10 wt. % inside the oil-spill boom at the time from the beginning of oil-spill boom deployment on water surface to contact with spilled petroleum or petroleum product. This option results in reduced sorption capacity of the oil-spill boom and it requires further refining of petroleum (petroleum product) after removal thereof from the oil-spill boom.

(5) An increase in density of adsorbent material of oil-spill boom up to 70 kg/m.sup.3 or greater leads to physical damage of fibers. As a result of excessive consolidation, many fibers become broken and an average length of the fibers reduces, thus adversely affecting the strength of the matrix comprising densely intertwined fibers and creating problems relating to retention of absorbed petroleum (petroleum product) inside the oil-spill boom, especially under storm sea conditions.

(6) A method of manufacturing a sorbent material which is useful for collecting petroleum and petroleum products is realized as follows.

Example 1

(7) A canvas of basalt superfine fibers having an average thickness fiber diameter of 2.0 microns and an average density of 25 kg/m.sup.3 had been fluffed using compressed air until an average density of 12 kg/m.sup.3. Further, the canvas was remaining under the treatment by compressed air with inclusion of aerosol particles of organic silicon hydrophobizing liquid. In addition, upon completion of such treatment, a density of the canvas saturated with the hydrophobizing liquid was about 8 kg/m.sup.3. Then, the canvas was exposed to drying using compressed air having a temperature of 70 C. As a result, post-drying density of the canvas was 10 kg/m.sup.3. The material thus produced offered the sorption capacity of 160 with regard to raw petroleum having a density of 0.85 g/cm.sup.3.

Example 2

(8) A canvas of basalt ultrafine fibers having an average thickness fiber diameter of 1.6 microns and an average density of 20 kg/m.sup.3 had been fluffed using compressed air until an average density of 12 kg/m.sup.3. Further, the canvas was remaining under the treatment by compressed air with inclusion of aerosol particles of organic silicon hydrophobizing liquid. Then, the canvas was exposed to drying using compressed air having a temperature of 70 C. As a result, post-drying density of the canvas was 10 kg/m.sup.3. The material thus produced offered the sorption capacity of 170 with regard to raw petroleum having a density of 0.85 g/cm.sup.3.

Example 3

(9) An article, which is a petroleum or petroleum product spill collection pillow having a total sorption surface area of 1 m.sup.2, was manufactured as follows. Originally, a pillow shell was made of a non-woven material based on polypropylene fibers having a surface density of 50+/5 g/m.sup.2. Further, a material manufactured according to Example 1 was placed into the shell. Density of the finished article was 10 kg/m.sup.3. The pillow thus produced offered the sorption capacity of 140 with regard to raw petroleum having a density of 0.85 g/cm.sup.3.

Example 4

(10) An article, which is a barrier web for collecting petroleum or petroleum products, said web having a total sorption surface area of 1 m.sup.2, was manufactured as follows. Originally, a mat shell was made of a non-woven material based on polypropylene fibers having a surface density of 50+/5 g/m.sup.2. Further, a material manufactured according to Example 2 was placed into the mat shell. Density of the finished article was 15 kg/m.sup.3. The barrier web thus produced offered the sorption capacity of 150 with regard to raw petroleum having a density of 0.85 g/cm.sup.3.

Example 5

(11) An article, which is a petroleum-spill boom for collecting petroleum or petroleum products, said boom having a diameter of 150 mm and a length of 3.0 m was manufactured as follows. Originally, a boom shell was made of a non-woven material based on polypropylene fibers having a surface density of 50+/5 g/m.sup.2. Further, a material manufactured according to Example 1 and consolidated mechanically was placed into the boom shell. As a result, a density of the articles thus produced was not exceeding 20, 30, 70 and 80 kg/m.sup.3. The table below shows the data on sorption capacity of said booms with regard to raw petroleum having a density of 0.85 g/cm.sup.3, and also the data on moisture content in adsorbent material after being held in sea water for 30 minutes.

(12) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE Specimen Article density, Moisture Sorption No. kg/m.sup.3 content, wt. % capacity, units Notes 1 20 8% 90 2 30 less than 1% 130 3 70 less than 1% 120 4 80 less than 1% 100 Leakage losses

(13) The table data reveal that suggested density values for a material useful for collecting petroleum or petroleum products are optimal for manufactured articles in view of specific conditions of their application.

(14) Therefore, owing to improvement of the known method and use of new operations (in particular, due to the point that prior to saturation a canvas of basalt fibers, which uses fibers having a diameter of 0.2-2 microns and a density not exceeding 20-25 kg/m.sup.3 are as the basalt fibers of the canvas, the canvas is first fluffed, using compressed air until a density of 12-15 kg/m.sup.3 is reached, the saturation with a hydrophobizing liquid is performed by introducing the hydrophobizing liquid into the pre-fluffed basalt fibers of the canvas in the form of aerosol particles via compressed air, and the subsequent drying of the saturated canvas is performed using compressed air), the required technical effect comprising the method simplification and broadening the application field thereof is achieved.

(15) In addition, owing to improvement of the known material (said material being a canvas of basalt fibers having a diameter of 0.2-2 microns and a density not exceeding 20-25 kg/m.sup.3, which is pre-fluffed first using compressed air to achieve a density of 12-15 kg/m.sup.3, and the hydrophobizing additive is contained in the material in the form of a saturation of the fluffed canvas by aerosol particles of a liquid hydrophobizing agent, said saturation being followed by subsequent drying using compressed air at a temperature of 65 C.-75 C., wherein the volume of hydrophobizing additive is selected in order to satisfy the condition of achieving a density of the finished material either within the range of 10-70 kg/m.sup.3, or within the range of 10-15 kg/m.sup.3, or within the range of 30 to 70 kg/m.sup.3), the required technical effect with regard to the material is achieved since sorbent characteristics of said material are improved.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

(16) All industrial equipment used for realization of inventive method of manufacturing a sorbent material for collecting petroleum and petroleum products belongs to well known and widely applied pieces of equipment used in chemical industry. Inventive sorbent material is produced on the basis of commercially available and widely used components. Used as such are canvases made of basalt fibers, organic silicon hydrophobizing liquid useful for saturation. Therefore, the inventions claimed are industrially applicable.