Scientists from the Perm National Research Polytechnic University (PNRPU) have developed a method to quickly eliminate oil and petroleum product spills. They created a system for producing pollutant absorbing materials (sorbents) directly at the spill site. A scientific institution reported this to socialbites.ca.
Polytechnicians have designed a compact generator for the production of thermally expanded graphite, one of the best sorbents for collecting oil. One gram of thermally expanded graphite absorbs up to 100 grams of petroleum products in both soil and water.
“The generator is very simple. This is a container with a pre-prepared mixture that can be delivered to the scene of the accident in a compact form. The consumer simply turns on the device and collects the sorbent produced within a minute into a separate fabric container.
From here it is discharged to the spill area, where worm-shaped graphite particles absorb the oil like a sponge. The collected oil product can then be squeezed. Now we are finalizing the design and composition of the generator, and then the development can be put into production, student of the Department of Polymer Materials and Powder Technology of PNIPU Andrey Myakshin told socialbites.ca.
PNIPU experts tested several variants of the mixture of fluoroplastic and graphite with the addition of magnesium, aluminum and boron to the ratio. The most effective option turned out to be a ratio of 1:3:3 – one part magnesium, one part fluoroplastic and three parts graphite. It allows you to create an inexpensive, easily flammable and stably burning sorbent with good absorbent properties.
Russian scientists before was created perforated carbon foam that absorbs oil.
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Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.