Method for herding and/or recovering spilled oil
OwnerFarrell D. Rowsellinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Oil spills on natural bodies of water are treated with amine-substituted water swelling clays. The organoclays are added to oil spills in an amount which herds oil into islands of oil separated by surfaces of water containing no oil. The clays can also be added to oil spills in an amount which produces quasisolid, buoyant organoclay/oil flocculate clumps which float in the water and which are amenable to collection from the surface of the water.
Claims42
A process for flocculating oil associated with an oil-contaminated portion of a natural body of water, said process comprising:
- (1) adding to said oil-contaminated portion of water a flocculant comprised of an amine-substituted clay formed by reacting a water swelling clay with an amine compound selected from the group consisting of a primary amine salt, a secondary amine salt, a tertiary amine salt or a quaternary ammonium salt;
- and
- (2) adding said flocculant to said oil-contaminated portion of water in amounts sufficient to promote formation of buoyant, quasi-solid organoclay oil flocculate clumps which float in the water and which have average diameters greater than about one tenth of an inch.
The process of claim which further comprises mechanically collecting said buoyant, quasi-solid flocculate clumps from the surface of the water.
A process for flocculating oil associated with or on oil-contaminated portion of a natural body of sea water, said process comprising:
- (1) adding to said oil-contaminated portion of sea water an organoclay flocculant comprised of an amine-substituted montmorillonite clay formed by reacting a montmorillonite clay with an amine compound selected from the group consisting of a primary amine salt, a secondary amine salt, a tertiary amine salt or a quaternary ammonium salt which each further comprises an organosubstituent having from 1 to 24 carbon atoms;
- and
- (2) adding said organoclay flocculant to the sea water in amounts sufficient to promote formation of buoyant, quasi-solid, amine substituted montmorillonite clay/oil flocculate clumps which float in the sea water and which have average diameters greater than about one tenth of an inch.
A process for herding oil associated with an oil-contaminated portion of a natural body of water, said process comprising:
- (1) adding to said oil-contaminated portion of water a herding agent comprised of an amine-substituted clay formed by reacting a water swelling clay with an amine compound selected from the group consisting of a primary amine salt, a secondary amine salt, a tertiary amine salt or a quaternary ammonium salt;
- and
- (2) adding said herding agent to said oil-contaminated portion of water in amounts sufficient to promote herding of the oil into islands of oil separated by surfaces of water containing substantially no oil.
A process for herding oil associated with or on oil-contaminated portion of a body of sea water, said process comprising:
- (1) adding to said oil-contaminated portion of sea water an organoclay flocculant comprised of an amine-substituted montmorillonite clay formed by reacting a montmorillonite clay with an amine compound selected from the group consisting of a primary amine salt, a secondary amine salt, a tertiary amine salt or a quaternary ammonium salt which each further comprises an organosubstituent having from 1 to 24 carbon atoms;
- and
- (2) adding said organoclay flocculant to sea water in amounts sufficient to promote herding of the oil into islands of oil/clay material separated by water containing substantially no oil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.