Method of recovering oil-based fluid

Abstract

A method of recovering oil-based fluid and an article for use in the method disclosed, the method includes the steps of applying fibers or a cloth with a napped surface that absorb the oil-based fluid to the oil-based fluid on a surface. The fiber or cloth is capable of absorbing at least about 5 times its own weight in oil-based fluid and temporarily holding absorbed oil-based fluid therein until the absorbed oil-based fluid is recovered. The fiber or cloth is maintained in contact with the oil-based fluid until oil-based fluid is absorbed. Then, the fiber or cloth having absorbed oil-based fluid is retrieved from the surface. The oil-based fluid can be recovered from the fiber or cloth and put to a beneficial use. The fiber or cloth can be reused repeatedly. The article contains the fiber or cloth, can optionally contain a flotation material and can optionally have a container that holds the fiber or cloth.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.