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US3843306A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Oil absorbent foamed silicate for oil pollution control

Assignee: GAF Chemicals Corp
•
Filing: 1972-12-22
•
Granted: 1974-10-22
•
Expires: 1992-12-22
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Abstract

Abstract A porous alkali metal silicate foam having oleophilichydrophobic properties is provided for use in oil spill control and removal. The silicate foam is preferably formed from a blend comprising solid and liquid alkali metal silicates and an oil absorption-water repellent agent. The blend is pelletized, heated in an oven to expand the material into foam particles, and then shredded, graded and re-treated with an oleophilic-hydrophobic agent to coat the internal and external surfaces and thereby further enhance the oil-absorption characteristics. The foam particles float on water and can absorb about 3 times their own weight in oil without being wetted by the water. When spread over approximately 75% of an oil slick area, the oil is immediately wicked into the foam and can be ignited. Burning continues until the oil is completely consumed. The silicate foam is incombustible and can be reused. The foam also permits recovery of the oil, rather than burning. The oil soaked particles can be skimmed from the surface and the oil extracted by the use of solvents.

Inventors

  • 👤 J Whittington
  • 👤 J Meyer
  • 👤 G Tingle

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-31 21:40
CPC Classifications
C; C02; C02F; C02F1/00; C02F1/68; C02F1/681; E; E02; E02B; E02B15/00; E02B15/04; E02B15/042; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A20/00; Y02A20/20; Y02A20/204

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 111 words
AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR CONTROLLING AND REMOVING OIL PRESENT ON THE SURFACE OF WATER COMPRISING DEPOSITING FOAMED SILICATE PARTICLES ON THE SURFACE OF THE WATER HAVING AN OIL SLICK THEREON, SAID FOAMED SILICATE PARTICLES, COMPRISING A POROUS ALKALI METAL SILICATE MATERIAL HAVING A BULK DENSITY IN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 6 TO ABOUT 12 POUNDS PER CUBIC FOOT AND HAVING AN OLEOPHILLIC-HYDROPHOBIC AGENT DISTRIBUTED UNIFORMLY THROUGHOUT AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF SAID FOAMED SILICATE PARTICLES, WHEREBY SAID FOAMED SILICATE PARTICLES HAVE AN ENHANCED AFFINITY FOR OIL THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PARTICLE COMPOSITION, FACILITATING THE CONTROLLING OF THE OIL ON THE SURFACE OF SAID WATER THROUGH ABSORPTION BY SAID FOAMED SILICATE PARTICLES.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 111 words
AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR CONTROLLING AND REMOVING OIL PRESENT ON THE SURFACE OF WATER COMPRISING DEPOSITING FOAMED SILICATE PARTICLES ON THE SURFACE OF THE WATER HAVING AN OIL SLICK THEREON, SAID FOAMED SILICATE PARTICLES, COMPRISING A POROUS ALKALI METAL SILICATE MATERIAL HAVING A BULK DENSITY IN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 6 TO ABOUT 12 POUNDS PER CUBIC FOOT AND HAVING AN OLEOPHILLIC-HYDROPHOBIC AGENT DISTRIBUTED UNIFORMLY THROUGHOUT AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF SAID FOAMED SILICATE PARTICLES, WHEREBY SAID FOAMED SILICATE PARTICLES HAVE AN ENHANCED AFFINITY FOR OIL THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PARTICLE COMPOSITION, FACILITATING THE CONTROLLING OF THE OIL ON THE SURFACE OF SAID WATER THROUGH ABSORPTION BY SAID FOAMED SILICATE PARTICLES.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 70 words
The process of claim 1 and including the igniting of said oil abSorbed by said foamed silicate particles to burn said oil absorbed from the surface of the water, said particles serving as a wick drawing oil therein off the surface of the water for burning, said burning facilitating the drawing of additional quantities of oil from the surface of the water upon which said foamed silicate particles are deposited.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 33 words
The process of claim 1 in which said foamed silicate particles are deposited over an area comprising at least about 75 percent of the area of said water having an oil slick thereon.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 40 words
The process of claim 1 in which the oleophilic-hydrophobic agent distributed throughout the foamed silicate particles is selected from the group consisting of metal and alkali earth metal salts of a high molecular weight fatty acid and reactive silicone monomers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 32 words
The process of claim 4 in which said foamed silicate particles comprise small, random-shaped particles, the major dimension of which is in the range of from about 0.02 to about 0.50 inches.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 26 words
The process of claim 4 in which said oleophilic-hydrophobic agent comprises a silicone monomer selected from the group consisting of sodium methyl siliconate, methyltrimethoxy-silane and methyltriethoxysilane.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 12 words
The process of claim 4 in which said agent comprises aluminum stearate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 12 words
The process of claim 4 in which said agent comprises zinc stearate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 37 words
The process of claim 4 in which said foamed silicate particles deposited on the surface of the water are impregnated with an oleophilic-hydrophobic coating to further assure the oil absorption-water repellency characteristics of said foamed silicate particles.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

No citation records indexed.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1977-10-21 1978-04-22 1978-10-22 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1981-10-21 1982-04-22 1982-10-22 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1985-10-21 1986-04-22 1986-10-22 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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