Buoyant solid cover for ponds and method of making the same

Abstract

Solidifiable petroleum wax is placed in liquid form to solidify on the surface of a pond, such as a degradant lagoon for deterring emanation of malodorous gases or collecting malodorous or energy latent gases, or a reservoir to deter evaporation. The entire cover can be of liquid solidified in situ on the surface of the pond or a sheet cover can be formed by placing solidifiable buoyant material in liquid form between premolded solid cover sections or cakes to which the liquid can bond in solidifying to join adjacent premolded sections. The premolded cakes and/or the buoyant material solidified in situ can include reinforcement, such as net, which preferably also is buoyant. A suitable solidifiable buoyant material is petroleum wax which can include woody material such as sawdust or shavings, serving as an adsorbent, filler and/or vehicle for treating materials, and/or other additives such as oxidizer material, deodorant material, catalysts, enzymes and/or nutrients for anaerobic bacteria.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.