Systems for ameliorating aqueous hydrocarbon spills

A process of forming a solid, compliant body for absorbing oil comprising:

• (a) mixing styrene-butadiene-styrene and ethylene propylene diene monomer;
• (b) heating the mixture to a temperature below the melting point of the styrene-butadiene-styrene material, wherein the ethylene propylene diene monomer material of the mixture becomes plasticized;
• (c) extruding the resulting mixture through a die;
• and
• (d) allowing the extruded mixture to cool and expand.

A device for ameliorating oil spills comprising:

• (a) a sack comprised of two sheets of a mesh material that is porous to both water and oil, which sheets are affixed together and stiffened around their perimeter;
• (b) wherein each sack forms a compartment containing a multitude of tubular bodies comprised of an oil-entrapping polymer;
• (c) wherein each of the multitude of polymer bodies is formed to surround an axial hole of the polymer body;
• and
• (d) wherein each of the multitude of polymer bodies has its longest dimension parallel to the axial hole.

A process for recovering oil floating on water comprising:

• (a) deploying onto oily water a plurality of sacks, each comprised of two sheets of a mesh material that is porous to both water and oil, which sheets are affixed together and stiffened around their perimeter;
• (b) wherein each sack forms a compartment containing a multitude of tubular bodies comprised of an oil-entrapping polymer;
• and
• (c) maintaining the sacks afloat amidst the oil for a time sufficient to allow the bodies in the sacks to entrap a quantity of the oil;
• (d) wherein each of the multitude of polymer bodies is formed to surround an axial hole of the polymer body;
• and
• (e) wherein each of the multitude of polymer bodies has its longest dimension parallel to the axial hole.

A process for recovering oil floating on water comprising:

• (a) forming a plurality of sacks of two sheets of a mesh material that is porous to both water and oil, which sheets are affixed together and stiffened around their perimeter to form a single compartment;
• (b) partially filling each of the sacks with a multitude of tubular bodies comprised of an oil-entrapping polymer, each of which bodies surrounds an axial hole of the polymer body and has its longest dimension parallel to the axial hole;
• (c) deploying the sacks onto oily water;
• (d) maintaining the sacks afloat amidst the oil for a time sufficient to allow the bodies in the sacks to entrap a quantity of the oil;
• and
• (e) retrieving the sacks from the surface of the water at least a day later.

A process for recovering oil floating on water comprising:

• (a) forming a plurality of sacks of two sheets of a mesh material that is porous to both water and oil, which sheets are affixed together and stiffened around their perimeter;
• (b) placing in each of the sacks a multitude of tubular bodies comprised of an oil-entrapping polymer, each of which bodies surrounds an axial hole of the polymer body and has its longest dimension parallel to the axial hole;
• (c) deploying the sacks onto oily water;
• (d) maintaining the sacks afloat amidst the oil for a time sufficient to allow the bodies in the sacks to entrap a quantity of the oil;
• and
• (e) later burning the floating sacks.