Process for containing oil spills

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR CONTAINING AN OIL SPILL ON A BODY OF WATER, WHICH COMPRISES APPLYING TO THE OIL SPILL A POLYISOCYANATE AND A POLYAMINE, IN SUCH AMOUNTS AS TO FURNISH FREE ISOCYANATE GROUPS IN APPROXIMATELY EQUIMOLAR PROPORTION TO AMINO GROUPS, AND WHEREIN BOTH THE POLYISOCYANATE AND THE POLYAMINE HAVE A DENSITY LESS THAN THAT OF THE WATER IN SAID BODY AND ARE AT LEAST PARTIALLY MISCIBLE WITH OIL BUT ESSENTIALLY IMMISCIBLE WITH WATER.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 wherein polyisocyanate and polyamine are applied simultaneously.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 wherein the polyisocyanate and polyamine are applied successively.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 wherein the polyisocyanate and polyamine are applied to the peripheral portion of the oil spill.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 wherein both the polyisocyanate and the polyamine do not exhibit a dispersion effect on oil films.

Claim 7

The process of claim 1 wherein the polyisocyanate has the structure R-(CH2)y-NCO)x wherein y is an integer selected from 0 to 1, x is an integer of 2 to about 4, and R is the hydrocarbon group of polymeric fat acids R(COOH)x, said polymeric fat acids having been prepared by polymerizing fat acids of 8-24 carbon atoms.

Claim 8

The process of claim 1 wherein the polyamine is a copolymer of a. an alkyl ester of the structure

Claim 9

A process for limiting the dispersion of an oil spill on a body of water, which comprises entrapping selected portions of the oil in a polymer matrix, the polymer being formed in situ by reaction of a polyisocyanate and a polyamine, applied to the oil in such amounts as to furnish free isocyanate groups in approximately equimolar proportion to amino groups, and wherein both of said reactants have a density less than that of the water in said body, are at least partially miscible in oil but immiscible in water, and do not exhibit a dispersion effect on oil films.

Claim 10

A process for limiting the dispersion of an oil spill on a body of water, which comprises entrapping selected portions of the oil in a polymer matrix, the polymer being formed in situ by reaction of a polyisocyanate and a polyamine, applied to the oil in such amounts as to furnish free isocyanate groups in approximately equimolar proportion to amino groups, and wherein both of said reactants have a density less than that of the water in said body, are at least partially miscible in oil but immiscible in water, and do not exhibit a dispersion effect on oil films.