Oil-spill control using smart sorption device
Neha Bhardwaj (Advisor: Prof. Ashok N. Bhaskarwar)
0430-0500 pm (20+10 mins)
Oil is the necessity of modern civilization. An estimated 2.5 to 20.4 million tons of oil was lost into the marine environment in 2005 alone, with not only loss of value but also damage to the environment. Main motivation for this investigation is to design a smart sorption device targeting marine oil spills. The device would contain an oleophilic polymeric matrix and a responsive oleophilic gel. The structure of the device would be such that entire area of the device would gradually come in contact with oil. The devices would also be magnetically responsive to facilitate their collection. The sorbents for oil-spill control should have high oil-sorption capacity, good oil adhesion and retention, low water- sorption capacity, improved buoyancy characteristics, and reusability. We have developed a novel process to generate oleophilic porous polymeric structures. The process involves incorporation of colloidal gas aphrons in the polymeric dispersions and solidification at appropriate conditions of curing. We are simultaneously working with SBR (styrene butadiene rubber) and polyurethane systems. The materials developed are tested based on ASTM-F716-09. pH-responsive hydrogel- organogel based systems, which would be able to sorb large volumes of water-in-oil kind of emulsions and to release emulsion by triggering a stimulus, are currently being developed.