Lignin floccules as cleaning agents for oil-contaminated materials
AssigneeBoard of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
InventorsQinglin Wu, Pawan Kumar Mishra
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Abstract
A composition and method are disclosed for forming lignin-containing floccules from dissolved lignin, lignin nanoparticles, lignin colloids, or lignin-containing cellulose nanofibers. The floccules may be used to clean oil-contaminated materials such as oil-contaminated plastics or oil-contaminated water. The polymers and oil may then be recovered for further use, without requiring organic solvents.
Claims15
A process for removing oil from an oil-contaminated plastic, comprising extracting at least some oil from the oil-contaminated plastic with an aqueous composition comprising water, an electrolyte, and lignin;
- wherein:
- (a) the composition has a pH between 2 and 6;
- (b) the electrolyte is dissolved in the water at a concentration between 0.1 molal and 3.0 molal;
- (c) the lignin is between 0.01% and 10.0% of the composition by mass;
- wherein at least some of the lignin is suspended in the aqueous composition as particulates, as colloids, or as both;
- and
- (d) most of the lignin by mass takes the form of floccules at the pH and electrolyte concentration of the composition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.