Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Development and properties of a new oil binding system for marine application

2014; Atlantis Press; Volume: 2014; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.7901/2169-3358-2014.1.1474

2169-3366

Holger Unbehaun, Till Hieronymus, Sören Tech, André Wagenführ,

Electrohydrodynamics and Fluid Dynamics

ABSTRACT Traditional marine oil response technology is based on ship borne techniques with oil/water separation by skimmer. These systems are very sensitive to weather conditions and have a long response time. Furthermore, conventional solid binder systems are unsuitable for marine application. Within the research project BIOBIND, a new binder system for marine application was developed and evaluated. The oil binders are made of biogenic and biodegradable wood-fiber, which cause only a small environmental impact and are very cost-efficient. They show a high porosity of 85 %, a high oil absorption capacity of approx. 600 kg m−3 (especially for thin oil films down to 0.03 mm), and a high retention capacity for oil. On the water surface, these binders achieve an oil recovery rate of 80 % with a coverage dosage of 11 %. Having a square geometry of 50 x 50 mm and a thickness of 4 mm, the binder has superior properties for manufacturing, storage, oil adsorption and recovery. The binder system was produced in industrial scale and tested during a large scale field experiment at the Baltic Sea in the summer of 2013. Its binding capacity and flotation ability were evaluated in mesocosm tests. Because of its hydrophobic properties, the binder floated for more than 8 days. Experiments of airborne application, monitoring, and ship borne recovery confirmed the suitability of the binder system. Due to airborne distribution, the binder system is also suitable for application during bad weather conditions and on shallow water territories. The paper describes the development of a solid oil binding system suitable for new marine application and presents the results of laboratory scale, mesocosm and field experiments.