Use of magnetic carbon composites from renewable resource materials for oil spill clean up and recovery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9169139-B2
Application number	US-201314134992-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2013
Priority date	Jun 18, 2008
Publication date	Oct 27, 2015
Grant date	Oct 27, 2015

Abstract

A method of separating a liquid hydrocarbon material from a body of water, includes: (a) mixing magnetic carbon-metal nanocomposites with a liquid hydrocarbon material dispersed in a body of water to allow the magnetic carbon-metal nanocomposites each to be adhered by the liquid hydrocarbon material to form a mixture; (b) applying a magnetic force to the mixture to attract the magnetic carbon-metal nanocomposites each adhered by the liquid hydrocarbon material; and (c) removing the body of water from the magnetic carbon-metal nanocomposites each adhered by the liquid hydrocarbon material while maintaining the applied magnetic force. The magnetic carbon-metal nanocomposites is formed by subjecting one or more metal lignosulfonates or metal salts to microwave radiation, in presence of lignin/derivatives either in presence of alkali or a microwave absorbing material, for a period of time effective to allow the carbon-metal nanocomposites to be formed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of separating a liquid hydrocarbon material from a body of water, comprising the steps of:
(a) mixing a predetermined amount of magnetic carbon-metal nanocomposites with a liquid hydrocarbon material dispersed in a body of water to allow the magnetic carbon-metal nanocomposites each to be adhered by an amount of the liquid hydrocarbon material to form a mixture;
(b) applying a magnetic force to the mixture to attract the magnetic carbon-metal nanocomposites each adhered by an amount of the liquid hydrocarbon material; and
(c) removing the body of water from the magnetic carbon-metal nanocomposites each adhered by the amount of the liquid hydrocarbon material while maintaining the applied magnetic force,
wherein the magnetic carbon-metal nanocomposites is formed by:
subjecting a first metal lignosulfonate to microwave radiation, for a period of time effective to allow the predetermined amount of carbon-metal nanocomposites to be formed, wherein a substantial amount of carbon in the predetermined amount magnetic carbon-metal nanocomposites has a first peak at 1587 cm −1 and a second peak at 1330 cm −1 or a first peak at 1590 cm −1 and a second peak at 1330 cm −1 in Raman spectroscopy.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microwave radiation has a frequency in the range of 900 MHz to 5.8 GHz.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microwave absorbing material comprises graphite, carbon black, or a combination of them.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first metal lignosulfonate is magnetic.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
(d 1 ) introducing said body of water to a second container; and
(d 2 ) repeating the steps (a)-(c) to said body of water.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first metal lignosulfonate is formed by mixing a second metal lignosulfonate and a metal salt and then heating the mixture.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first metal lignosulfonate is formed by mixing a lignin or a lignin derivative with a metal salt and then heating the mixture.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first metal lignosulfonate is alkali treated before subjecting the first metal lignosulfonate to microwave radiation.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a microwave absorbing material is added to the first metal lignosulfonate before subjecting the first metal lignosulfonate to microwave radiation.

Assignees

• Univ Arkansas

Inventors

• Viswanathan Tito

Classifications

• C02F1/288 Primary

  using composite sorbents, e.g. coated, impregnated, multi-layered · CPC title

• C02F1/48 Primary

  with magnetic or electric fields (C02F1/46 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C02F2101/32

  Hydrocarbons, e.g. oil · CPC title

• C02F1/488

  for separation of magnetic materials, e.g. magnetic flocculation · CPC title

• C02F2305/08

  Nanoparticles or nanotubes · CPC title