Recovery of oil and oil-soluble contaminants from the surface of water

Claim 3

A method as recited in claim 1 in which oil is applied as a film to the rim of said discs after picked-up oil has been removed from said rim and before said rim is reimmersed in water.

Claim 4

A method as recited in claim 2 in which the added oil is an oil of low dielectric constant.

Claim 5

A method as recited in claim 2 in which the added oil includes .01-2% camphor to assist easy spreading of the film.

Claim 6

A method as recited in claim 1 in which said hydrophobic dielectric polymer is nonpolar.

Claim 7

A method as recited in claim 1 in which said oil is removed from the rim portion of said discs by a wiper which is made of Neoprene.

Claim 8

A method as recited in claim 1 in which camphor is dissolved in light oil and added to the crude oil on the surface of a body of sea water in the vicinity of the discs.

Claim 9

A method as recited in claim 1 in which the negative electrostatic charge is sufficient to produce a separation of the gold leaves of an electroscope positioned one-fourth inch away from the rim of the discs by at least 30*, said gold leaves being three-fourths inch long.

Claim 10

APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING OIL OR OIL-SOLUBLE CONTAIMINATS FROM THE SURFACE OF WATER CONSISTING OF A PLURALITY OF DISCS OF HYDROPHOBIC DIELECTRIC POLYMER WHICH ARE ELECTRICALLY ISOLATED FROM GROUNDED CONDUCTORS IN CONTACT WITH THE WATER, MEANS TO PARTIALLY IMMERSE SAID DISCS IN A BODY OF WATER MEANS TO ROTATE SAID DISCS TO MOVE THE RIM PORTION OF THE DICS THROUGH THE WATER, A WIPER FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING THE RIM OF EACH OF THE DISCS TO REMOVE ALL OF THE OIL OR OIL-SOLUBLE CONTAIMANTS CARRIED THEREON IN THE AREA OF CONTACT THEREBETWEEN, SAID WIPERS BEING MADE OF A MATERIAL WHICH, WHEN THEY RUB AGAINST SAID RIMS, WILL IMPOSE A NEGATIVE ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE ON EACH OF SAID DISCS, THE FRICTIONAL WIPING CONTACT BETWEEN THE WIPERS AND THE DISCS AND THE SPEED OF ROTATION OF THE DISCS BEING ADAPTED TO RRIBOELECTRICALLY ESTABLISH ANEGATIVE ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE ON EACH OF SAID DISCS WHICH IS MAINTAINED BY SAID ELECTRICAL ISOLATION, AND MEANS TO APPLY OIL TO THE RIM OF THE DISCS, SAID OIL-APPLYING MEANS BEING POSITIONE BETWEEN SAID WIPER AND THE POINT WHERE SAID RIM IS REIMMERSED IN SAID WATER.

Claim 11

APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING OIL OR OIL-SOLUBLE CONTAIMINATS FROM THE SURFACE OF WATER CONSISTING OF A PLURALITY OF DISCS OF HYDROPHOBIC DIELECTRIC POLYMER WHICH ARE ELECTRICALLY ISOLATED FROM GROUNDED CONDUCTORS IN CONTACT WITH THE WATER, MEANS TO PARTIALLY IMMERSE SAID DISCS IN A BODY OF WATER MEANS TO ROTATE SAID DISCS TO MOVE THE RIM PORTION OF THE DICS THROUGH THE WATER, A WIPER FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING THE RIM OF EACH OF THE DISCS TO REMOVE ALL OF THE OIL OR OIL-SOLUBLE CONTAIMANTS CARRIED THEREON IN THE AREA OF CONTACT THEREBETWEEN, SAID WIPERS BEING MADE OF A MATERIAL WHICH, WHEN THEY RUB AGAINST SAID RIMS, WILL IMPOSE A NEGATIVE ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE ON EACH OF SAID DISCS, THE FRICTIONAL WIPING CONTACT BETWEEN THE WIPERS AND THE DISCS AND THE SPEED OF ROTATION OF THE DISCS BEING ADAPTED TO RRIBOELECTRICALLY ESTABLISH ANEGATIVE ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE ON EACH OF SAID DISCS WHICH IS MAINTAINED BY SAID ELECTRICAL ISOLATION, AND MEANS TO APPLY OIL TO THE RIM OF THE DISCS, SAID OIL-APPLYING MEANS BEING POSITIONE BETWEEN SAID WIPER AND THE POINT WHERE SAID RIM IS REIMMERSED IN SAID WATER.

Claim 12

Apparatus for recovering oil or oil-soluble contaminants from the surface of water consisting of a plurality of discs of hydrophobic dielectric polymer which are electrically isolated from grounded conductors in contact with the water, means to partially immerse said discs in a body of water, means to rotate said discs to move the rim portion of the discs through the water, a wiper frictionally engaging the rim of each of the discs to remove all of the oil or oil-soluble contaminants carried thereon in the area of contact therebetween, the frictional wiping contact between the wiper and the discs and the speed of rotation of said discs triboelectrically establishing a negative electrostatic charge on said discs which is maintained by said electrical isolation, a partially immersed baffle closed at one end and open at the other to surround said discs at the rear and at the sides thereof, said baffle being constructed and arranged so that it will not discharge electricity, and said discs being mounted to rotate so that the portion of the discs which is immersed in the water will move from the open end of the baffle toward the closed end thereof.

Claim 13

Apparatus for recovering oil or oil-soluble contaminants from the surface of water consisting of a plurality of discs of hydrophobic dielectric polymer which are electrically isolated from grounded conductors in contact with the water, means to partially immerse said discs in a body of water, means to rotate said discs to move the rim portion of the discs through the water, a wiper frictionally engaging the rim of each of the discs to remove all of the oil or oil-soluble contaminants carried thereon in the area of contact therebetween, the frictional wiping contact between the wiper and the discs and the speed of rotation of said discs triboelectrically establishing a negative electrostatic charge on said discs which is maintained by said electrical isolation, a partially immersed baffle closed at one end and open at the other to surround said discs at the rear and at the sides thereof, said baffle being constructed and arranged so that it will not discharge electricity, and said discs being mounted to rotate so that the portion of the discs which is immersed in the water will move from the open end of the baffle toward the closed end thereof.