A new way to collect the spilled oil discovered

Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA), “inspired by” the explosion on the platform Deepwater Horizon and then a giant oil spill created an original method for collecting oil: the Clean sprayed magnetized iron nanoparticles, then the resulting suspension is going permanent magnets that do not require power.

The inventors claim that it can return 100% of refining of oil spilled, and actually quite inexpensive technology. Hydrophobic iron nanoparticles are mixed with spilled oil on the water surface, and then collect the latest powerful magnets, attracting iron (and with it the entire suspension) by high-gradient magnetic separation. Further purification of oil from reusable nanoparticles planned aboard a special oil skimming vessel.                                                      

Re-use of nanoparticles not only reduces the scheme, but also protects the environment from contamination with iron. In development is used magnetic assembly, A special configuration of the permanent magnets, characterized in that the magnetic field on the one hand, is almost completely absent (due to the special arrangement of assembly), and the other – on the contrary, strengthened (about half). Experiments showed that the oil would be attracted to the nanoparticles only to the desired point of the magnetic assembly, will streamline and simplify its fence.

Large-scale field trials of new items are assigned to the “near future.” Clearly, this is not the only fresh development on the efficient collection of oil from the water surface. We recently reported an Israeli project to complete the fence oil from the surface with mineral wool.

However, a significant advantage of this method may be its speed, due to the use of magnetic separation mechanism. However, do not get along without problems. So, it seems inevitable corrosion of the nanoparticles used in the iron-based (though they are hydrophobic). And the separation of oil from the absorbent directly into the open sea (on board) is a complex process with the next scheme that promoted followers absorbing mineral wool…

http://techtechboom.com