Foam compositions for selective recovery of oil spills and other applications
AssigneesScott C. Smith, Opflex Technologies, LLC
InventorsScott C. Smith, Robert F. Hurley, Kevin M. Hoffman
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Abstract
A polymer composition for use in the removal and recovery of oil slicks or spills floating on the surfaces of bodies of water or present on land, such as beaches comprising a foam of a blend of polyethylene and an ethylene-alkyl acrylate copolymer and a process for using such foams in the selective removal of oil from fresh water or salt water and the recovery of the absorbed oils from the foams is disclosed. The polymer composition is also for use in other applications in which absorption of liquids is desired.
Claims17
An open-cell cross-linked foam composition comprising:
- a) a blend of ingredients comprising:
- i) from about 20 to about 50 weight percent of polyethylene having a density between about 0.91 and about 0.95 g/cc and a melt index between about 1 and about 4 g/10 minutes;
- ii) from about 50 to about 80 weight percent of ethylene-alkyl acrylate copolymer having a melt index between about 0.5 and about 4 g/10 minutes;
- iii) a chemical foaming agent that decomposes to form a gas when the blend is heated during processing into the foam composition;
- iv) silicone oil;
- v) an organic peroxide cross-linker;
- and
- vi) an elastomer;
- b) wherein the blend is processed to create a foam that has the following properties:
- i) open-cells created by crushing the foamed blend, wherein the average cell size is between 0.65 and 1.4 mm by ocular;
- ii) a density of from 1.5 to 2.0 pounds per cubic foot;
- and
- iii) an absorption weight capacity of SAE 30 oil of at least about 30 times the weight of the open-cell foam composition.
An open-cell cross-linked foam composition comprising:
- a) a blend of ingredients comprising:
- i) about 44 weight percent of polyethylene having a density of about 0.91 g/cc and a melt index between about 2.2 and 2.3 g/10 minutes;
- ii) about 56 weight percent of ethylene-alkyl acrylate copolymer having a density of about 0.94 g/cc, a melt index between about 2.0 and 2.1 g/10 minutes and comprising from about 20% to about 24% acrylate;
- iii) a biodegradation initiator;
- iv) a cross-linking agent;
- and
- v) a chemical foaming agent;
- b) wherein the blend is processed to create a foam that has the following properties:
- i) open-cells created by crushing the foamed blend, wherein the average cell size is between 0.65 and 1.4 mm by ocular;
- ii) a density of from about 1.6 to about 2 pounds per cubic foot;
- and
- iii) an absorption weight capacity of SAE 30 oil of at least about 30 times the weight of the open-cell foam composition, an absorption weight capacity of SAE 90 oil of at least about 27 times the weight of the open-cell foam composition, and an absorption weight capacity of SAE 10W-30 oil of at least about 25 times the weight of the open-cell foam composition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.