MXPA00009383A - Filter constructions and methods - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and apparatus for removing organic contaminants from an aqueous phase in which the contaminant is solubilized. In the method the aqueous phase is passed through a fluid-pervious filtration media (12) which has been infused with an absorbtion composition comprising a homogeneous thermal reaction product of an oil component selected from glycerides, fatty acids, alkenes, and alkynes;and a methacrylate or acrylate polymer component. The contaminant is thereby immobilized at said media, and the purified filtrate having passed through the filtration media (12) is collected as the product.

Description

FILTER AND METHOD CONSTRUCTIONS FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in general to apparatus and methods for removing contaminants from aqueous systems, and more specifically relates to filtration devices and methods for removing slightly soluble organic compounds from said aqueous systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In recent years it has been found that many sources of previously clean water are contaminated with slightly soluble pernicious organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, xylene, halogenated hydrocarbons, ethoxylated glycols, etc. These harmful pollutants are among the most difficult compounds to remove from water, and in truth most are carcinogenic. Currently, the treatment of such contaminated water sources is carried out with activated carbon, optionally together with air removal, in an effort to reduce the levels of contaminants to EPA standards. Frequent reprocessing is needed since activated carbon has an extremely limited affinity with these compounds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Now according to the present invention, it has been found that the compositions described in the patents of E.U.A. of the inventor of the present Nos. 5,437,793; 5,698,139; and 5,837,146, and in the co-pending patent application of said inventor serial No. 08 / 856,263 (the descriptions of which are incorporated herein by reference) have strong affinities with the aforementioned contaminants in the water; and that when aqueous streams containing these harmful contaminants are passed through filter media incorporating these compositions of the invention, the contaminants are immobilized in the media, as a result of which the concentration levels of the contaminants in the product Filtering can be reduced to very low values, in some cases below the limits detectable in a single step. The use of this invention can reduce or eliminate the need for air removal and multiple passes through activated carbon. The filter configurations incorporating said compositions (hereinafter referred to as "absorbent compositions") may be based on various water-permeable substrates, such as shredded or otherwise shaped or spun polypropylene or shredded or spunlaced cellulose, the substrates of which are infused or otherwise treated with the absorbent compositions, which are then cured. Then these substrates can be introduced or otherwise arranged in a cartridge or basket filter; or they can be made in the form of cured and infused bag filters that can be placed in baskets through which contaminated water is made to flow. In a similar manner said absorbent compositions can be incorporated into or onto other substrates and filtration media, such as paper, including compressed pulp materials, porous foam plastics in the form of particles, particulate minerals such as perlite or vermiculite, and substrates and ceramic means in the form of particles, fibrous or porous or of porous metal (for example sintered). It should be understood that the term is used in the present "Absorbent composition" is of convenience to identify the compositions of my patents and patent applications mentioned above. The specific mechanism by which harmful pollutants are removed from aqueous streams by joint use of "absorbent compositions" is not completely understood, and could include binding and / or fixing said contaminants by mechanisms that technically involve various physical interactions and / or chemical The term "absorbent" as used herein attempts to include all possible mechanisms.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated graphically, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view through a simple filter structure based on the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic view of the type in Figure 1, except that the illustrated filter is based on a plurality of filtration layers of different compositions; Figure 3 is a schematic view of the type in Figure 1, showing another arrangement of the filtration layer suitable for practicing the invention; Figure 4 is a schematic partial view of another filter arrangement in accordance with the invention, illustrating a convenient arrangement for assembly where a series of different filtration layers are desired; Figure 5 is a graph illustrating the removal of benzene from contaminated water samples, as a function of the concentration of benzene, when the sample is passed through a filter according to the invention; Figure 6 is a graph illustrating the removal of toluene from contaminated water samples, as a function of the toluene concentration, when the sample is passed through a filter according to the invention; and Figure 7 is a graph illustrating the removal of ethylbenzene from samples of contaminated water, as a function of the concentration of ethylbenzene, when the sample is passed through a filter according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES In Figures 1 to 4 of the present, schematic cross-sectional views are shown through representative filter constructions using the principles of the present invention. With the exception of Figure 4, the constructions are based on baskets, cartridges, or drums which are filled inside with the filtration means comprising substrates as mentioned above, which have been infused with, or otherwise carried, Absorbent compositions of the types taught in my patents and patent applications mentioned above. Accordingly, in Figure 1 a 207.9 liter drum 10 having a fixed sealed top 11 is filled with an infused substrate defining the filtration means 12. The substrate here is a shredded cellulose, such as the available GP Absorbent material. by Absorbent Corporation of Bellingham, WA. The shredded material has been treated with an absorbent composition in a manner that will be discussed below. The flow of the aqueous stream to be treated comes from the upper part of the basket through the inlet 14, through the volume of the filtering means 12, and then out of the basket through the lower opening 16 for the tube 18 which has an outlet port 20. To obtain a more even distribution of the flow through the filtration means 12, a fluid distribution manifold tube can be connected to the inlet 14, and a similar outlet manifold tube connected to the opening 16. it can receive the fluid passed in the lower part of the drum 10. In figure 2 an arrangement similar to that of figure 1 appears, except that a series of superjacent layers 22, 24 and 26 of different filtration materials is used. The lowermost layer 26 is supported on a mesh screen 28 which in turn is fixed through the interior of the drum. All the layers can be infused substrate materials according to the invention; one or more of the layers may comprise conventional filtration means, for example activated carbon or the like. The use of different layers allows selective or preferential absorption of different contaminants at specific filtration sites. The flow enters the drum at 14, and passes through a diffusion screen 21, before continuing through the filters and out at 20. Figure 3 shows an arrangement again similar to that of Figures 1 and 2, except that the unique filtering means 30 used are retained between two transverse screens 32 and 34 transversely mounted through the interior of the basket or drum.

In the schematic view of Figure 4 a series 36 of cylindrical filter bags is shown. Three of said bags 38, 40 and 42 appear - a greater or lesser number can be used depending on the requirements. The filter bags can be of various heights, and can comprise an outer porous cover of fabric, porous or perforated plastic or the like, which internally contains different filtration materials. In a typical arrangement where five bags are used, the upper part of said bag 38 can be filled with activated carbon in the form of particles, and the successive underlying bags with shredded propylene, compressed cellulose, ceramic fiber, and metal wool. With the exception of activated carbon, all other filtration materials have been infused with the absorbent compositions used in the invention. Each bag is provided with handles 44 for placement. Typically the bags are placed in a desired arrangement or order in a basket or drum 10 of the type mentioned above, where they are supported on one or more mesh screens 46. The lower part of the drum 10 is not shown, but the upper part of the drum , bottom, and fluid inlets and outlets may be as mentioned above in relation to what is shown in Figures 1 to 3. The absorbent composition described in the first of my aforementioned patents, ie, U.S. Patent No. 5,437,793, is characterized as a coagulant product comprising a glyceride such as linseed oil that is reacted with a polymer such as a poly (isobutyl methacrylate) which is then diluted with a solvent, such as 2,2,4-trimethyl-1, 3-pentanediol monoisobutyrate. The composition formed by the thermal reaction of linseed oil with the isobutyl methacrylate polymer is a mild resinous product which, when diluted with a solvent, results in a mixture which in the teaching of said patent can be sprayed in a oil spill or otherwise introduce the oil spill to coagulate the oil. However, additionally, and as described in my other U.S. Patent No. 5,698,139 and co-pending applications mentioned above, further experimentation has led to the discovery of additional absorbent compositions produced from polymers and a variety of natural animal and plant oils. , fatty acids, alkenes and alkynes, whose absorbent compositions can be used in the filters and filtration methods of the present invention. More generally these latter compositions are the thermal reaction product of a polymer component with an oil component selected from the group consisting of glycerides, fatty acids, alkenes and alkynes. The reaction conditions can be adjusted to provide a "first end point" product or a "second end point" product. Preferred compositions are disclosed which comprise the thermal reaction products of methacrylate polymers with a glyceride derived from a variety of natural animal and vegetable oils, or the thermal reaction products of methacrylate polymers with a fatty acid or alkene or alkyne containing approximately 8-24 carbon atoms. The combination of a methacrylate polymer component with any of these oil components can provide either a first or second end point product, depending on the reaction conditions. The term "first end point product" is used to describe the reaction solubility product which is a cooperative structure held together by many non-covalent, reinforcing interactions, including Van Der Waals attractive forces. The term "second endpoint product" is used to describe the product of the reaction that is the result of covalent bond formation between the polymer component and the oil component, as indicated by the change in molecular weight. The absorbent composition is easily synthesized from a polymer component and an oil component selected from the group consisting of glyceride, fatty acids, alkenes and alkynes. In a preferred embodiment, the product is synthesized from a polymer of isobutyl methacrylate, and the oil component is one derived from a natural oil, such as linseed oil or sunflower oil. Optionally, the composition is then diluted with a solvent, such as 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol monoisobutyrate or acetone. The diluted composition can then be applied to a desired substrate to be used as the filtration medium according to the present invention. The polymer component of the absorbent composition is a synthetic polymer such as polymers that are derived from methacrylates.

Preferably, the polymer is derived from methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, isobutyl methacrylate or n-butyl methacrylate, or it can be a copolymer containing a methacrylate polymer. Most preferably, the polymer is a poly (isobutyl methacrylate) polymer such as that obtainable from ICI Acrylics such as ELVACITE® 2045, or a methacrylate / methacrylic acid copolymer such as ELVACITE® 2008 or 2043. However, It is anticipated that other equivalent polymers may be used to prepare equivalent compositions of the invention. Polymer combinations can be used with advantage in the preparation of the absorbent compositions. The test used to determine whether or not a polymer can be used in preparing the absorbent compositions of the present invention is to combine the polymer component in question with the oil component, as discussed herein, to see if the resulting combination forms a product. homogeneous after heating. Ideally, the percentage of the polymer component of the composition should vary from about 15-75%, preferably 20-40% or most preferably about 25-35% by weight. In one embodiment of the absorbent composition, the oil component of the composition is a glyceride derived from oils of vegetable or animal origin. Vegetable oils are obtained by cold pressing the seeds of a plant to obtain the oil contained in it. Vegetable oils, drying oils such as sunflower, tung, linseed, and the like, and semi-drying oils, such as soybean and cottonseed, have proven to be useful as the glyceride component of the invention. Animal oils, such as, for example, fish oil, tallow and butter, can also be used as the glyceride component of the composition. It is anticipated that any drying oil or semi-drying oil will function in the composition. Generally, a drying oil is defined as a spreadable liquid that will react with oxygen to form a comparatively dry film. Optionally, combinations of two or more glycerides can be used as reagents with the polymer to provide absorbent compositions useful in the present invention. In a preferred embodiment the oil component of the absorbent composition is a glyceride derived from a drying oil, such as linseed oil, which can be obtained from Cargill. Inc. as supreme linseed oil, or sunflower oil. The glyceride should comprise from about 25-85%, preferably about 60-80% and most preferably about 65-75% of the coagulant composition. All percentages in this description are by weight, unless otherwise indicated. Where the oil component of the composition is a fatty acid or alkene or alkyne used as the reactant with the polymer, it contains from about 8 to 24 carbon atoms, and preferably from about 10 to 22 carbon atoms. Said fatty acids, alkenes and alkynes are commercially available from several suppliers.

Typical fatty acids include both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, such as lauric acid [dodecanoic acid], linolenic acid, c / s-5-dodecanoic acid, oleic acid, erucic acid [c / s-docosanoic acid], 10-undecinoic acid , stearic acid, caprylic acid, caproic acid, capric acid, [decanoic acid] palmitic acid, docosanoic acid, myristoleic acid [c / s-9-tetradecenoic acid], linoleic acid. Typical alkenes and alkynes contain at least one and preferably one or two degrees of unsaturation, and from about 8 to 24 carbon atoms, with 10-20 carbon atoms being preferred. Preferred alkenes and alkynes are those such as 1-decene trans-5-decene, tans-7-tetradecene, 1, 13-tetradecadiene, 1-tetradecene, 1-decine, and 5,7-dodecadiine. The absorbent composition is a product with characteristics different from any of the starting materials or a simple mixture of the two starting materials, thus showing that a new composition is produced by the thermal reaction. Specifically, the oil / polymer absorbing compositions pass a clear pill test after being heated to elevated temperatures and do not separate into two parts upon cooling, but instead form a homogeneous, single-phase compound. More specifically, the solvent can be selected from aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, ketones, esters, aldehydes, phenols, carboxylic acids, synthetic chemicals and natural substances.

The absorbent composition used in the present invention is prepared by a thermal reaction process. The first step of the process involves heating the oil component (glyceride or fatty acid or alkene or alkyne) to about 112.7 - 176.6 ° C at a rate of about -15 ° C per minute with continuous agitation. Then, the polymer component, usually in powder form, is slowly stirred in the heated oil component. Depending on the particular reagents used, the oil component should vary from about 25-85%, preferably to about 65-80%, most preferably about 72-77% and the polymer should vary from about 1-50%, preferably about 20-40%, most preferably about 23-28%, of the coagulant composition. After this mixture has been properly combined, the mixture should be heated to about 204.4-371.1 ° C, depending on the particular components used for the reaction, and the desired end point of the reaction. Typically, reaction temperatures below about 260 ° C produce "first end point products" while temperatures above about 260 ° C produce "second end point product". The mixture should be heated to that temperature until a clear pill test indicates that the reaction has reached its first end point, i.e. when a drop of the reaction mixture is placed on a clear glass plate is clear. When a clear pill test indicates that the reaction has reached its first end point, the mixture should be cooled to a temperature below 93.3 ° C, generally about 82.2 ° C. After cooling, the coagulant product can be diluted with a suitable solvent to form a more liquid product that is easier to handle and use. The temperature at which the solvent is added is not decisive, but the solvent must be added at a temperature where the coagulant composition is still manageable and the solvent does not evaporate rapidly. Two reactions seem to occur between the oil component and the polymer component based on temperature and time. The first end point of the reaction results in a relatively soft viscoelastic product similar to rubber with a melting point in the range of 37.7 -121.1 ° C. The product of the first end point is homogeneous and does not separate during melting or dissolution. This reaction occurs at 176.6 - 260 ° C. This is designated the "first end point product" (solubility product). In the second reaction, the polymer undergoes full or partial chain fission in individual polymer free radicals at a temperature above 260 ° C. Between 176.6 - 260 ° C, it is believed that the partial chain fission of the polymer component (the isobutylmethacrylate polymer has a p.m. = 300,000 Daltons) occurs at the end of the chain or in the middle. This results in a lower molecular weight product. It is believed that there may also be a solubility reaction that occurs (similar to Sn and Pb that form solder) within the ternary composition. The occurrence of a chemical reaction is confirmed, however, due to the change in molecular weight. Reactions above 260 ° C and up to 516.6 ° C were maintained at a temperature of 5 minutes to 20 hours, depending on the activation energy of the compositions, which result in the product of the second endpoint. This reaction can be observed visually by color, rheology, and specific heat change in the product [Note: for the first endpoint product the end of the reaction is observed by change in color and a change in rheology and term of the purification of gases from the solution. There is also a change in specific heat as measured by Differential Scanning Calorimetry]. The product of the second end point has a weight average molecular weight in the scale of approximately 62, 000 Daltons which is consistent with the complete chain fission of the polymer, resulting in smaller free radicals resulting in a lower molecular weight compound. The melting point of these products is usually above 148.8 ° C if the oil component is highly unsaturated, which results in a solid product due to the formation of tightly packed, three-dimensional and densely packed molecular matrix. If the oil component has a low degree of unsaturation, the resulting product is usually liquid, which is consistent with this type of reaction. The oil component and the polymer component are reacted in a thermal reaction that does not appear to be sensitive to the atmosphere under which the reaction is carried out, that is, if it is an inert, oxidation or reduction atmosphere. Absorbent compositions have been prepared by this reaction ranging from mild to hard, and of an elastomeric to brittle nature depending on the ratio of the oil component to the polymer component and the choice of the polymer component and / or the used oil component. . If the reaction mixture is separated into two phases during cooling it is not useful for the invention. In this way, any polymer can be identified for use in the invention. The mechanism of the thermal reaction is to be elucidated.

Although it is not desired to limit by any theory in this respect the reaction appears to be a polymerization reaction or phase transition caused by heat and which is stable at low temperatures. It is hypothesized that elevated temperatures create monomer free radicals of the polymers and copolymers which then intertwine with the unsaturated glyceride molecules. It is also hypothesized that a phase transition between the oil component and the polymer component is perhaps occurring. In an effort to determine what type of interaction or reaction is occurring between the oil component and the polymer component, a thermal analysis of several of the absorbent compositions was carried out. The results indicate that a reaction is occurring between the oil component and the polymer.

Therefore differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was carried out in several of said compositions. DSC is a thermal analysis technique that measures the amount of energy absorbed or developed by a sample in calories as its temperature is changed. The sample and a reference material are heated at a programmed speed. At a transition point in the heating of the sample, such as when it reaches a melting point, the sample requires more or less energy than the reference to heat. These points indicate the typical DSC reading. Samples were taken at the beginning of the reaction procedure described above and at the end of the reaction. The DSC profile for the initial starting materials is dramatically different from the product profile. The initial profile showed two exothermic events when the DSC analysis is carried out at 40-280 ° C, an event occurring at approximately 100 ° C and the other at approximately 217 ° C. In the DSC profile of the reaction product, however, there was only one exothermic event, occurring at approximately 261 ° C. Samples were taken at initial and final points during the reaction and allowed to cool to room temperature before being subjected to DSC. In the case of another reaction, DSCs were obtained from the starting materials and final product. Again, the generated DSC curves show that two thermal events occurred for the "freshly mixed" reactants while only one thermal event occurred for the final product. Therefore, the DSCs indicated the occurrence of a reaction or phase transformation. Similar evidence obtained from IR spectral analysis also confirms that the absorbent compositions used in the invention are products other than the reagents used to prepare the absorbent compositions.

EXAMPLE 1 To prepare a filter substrate according to the invention, an infusion solution is prepared from a suitable solvent and the absorbent composition; In this example a solution was prepared from 90 w / w 99% acetone and 10 w / w absorbent composition which is the reaction product of 31% isobutyl methacrylate, ELVACITE 2045, 31%, and linseed oil at 66%. The absorbent composition is added to a closed explosion-proof mixer with acetone and mixed during 12 hours or until the solution is homogeneous. The substrate in this example was a nonwoven polypropylene, namely the VERASPUN material from Yarorugh & Co., Inc. of High Point NC. This material has a weight of 305.15 grams / m2. The substrate material was immersed in the infusion solution until saturated, then removed and the excess liquid was allowed to drip. Then material was placed in a convection oven at 43.3 - 48.8 ° C until it was free of acetone. Then the material was cured at room temperature for a week. The resulting material was then comminuted and subsequently used in filter configurations.

EXAMPLE 2 Results of the filter test The effectiveness of the treated filter material of example 1 is illustrated as a selective oil and organic chemical filter. The identity of these samples and the procedure are the following: 1d - 5,000 ppm Gasoline 2d - 5,000 ppm Emulsified diesel fuel 3d - 20,000 ppm Emulsified light crude oil 4d - 50,000 ppm (50/50) Toluene / Xylene Procedure: 750 g of deionized water (20 megaohm) to which a sufficient amount of dopant was added to achieve the desired initial concentrations was passed through a tube of shredded polypropylene material (VERASPUN) (weight = 40g) at a rate of approximately 0.5 L / minute with approximate contact time of 1.5 sec. The total of the 750 mi was processed through the filtering material and collected. A 50 ml sample of each effluent was extracted and analyzed using the standard EPA method for total organic carbon.

Conditions: contact time = Filter weight = 40 gm Effluent weight = 750 gm 1.5 sec. Results Initial concentration Final concentration Gasoline 5,000 ppm 93.9 ppm Emulsified diesel 5,000 ppm 60.2 ppm Emulsified light crude oil 20,000 ppm 74.3 ppm Toluene / xylene 50,000 ppm 91.7 ppm As can be seen, even with a massive amount of contamination, the purification factor varies from 50x to 500x although the residence time was short and the weight of the processed water exceeded the filter weight by 20x. There was remarkable channel formation during this test. The final concentration would have been even lower after one step without the formation of channels.

EXAMPLE 3 Seven additional samples of contaminated water were subjected to the following test. Using the procedure of Example 1, a 5-AMETEK polypropylene sediment filter model P5 (Ametek, Inc. Sheboygan, Wl 53082) was infused with the absorbent composition and allowed to cure. This filter was then placed in an assembled polypropylene filter cartridge and attached to a centripetal pump with a flow rate of 11.3 liters / min. One liter solutions of the following contaminated water samples were prepared. 1) 2% light crude oil / H2? 2) 0.5% p / p / H2O gasoline 3) 2% light crude oil / H2O 4) 100 ppm III trichloroethane / H2O 5) 0.7% light crude oil / H20 6) 100 ppm III trichloroethane / H2O 7 ) 100 ppm Naphtha / H2O Each sample was placed in a 3 liter beaker and allowed to circulate through the pump for one minute. At that time, a sample of 100 ml was taken from the outlet hose in the pump. The samples, after being passed through the filter, were subjected to Total organic carbon (TOC) analysis using the US procedure of E.U.A. "Methods for Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes, 1979. Revised 1983". Method 415.1. The results were the following TABLE 1 Initial sample Resulting TOC (mq / L) 1) light crude oil at 2% / H2O 14.3 2) petrol at 0.5% w / w / H2O 34.4 3) 2% light crude oil / H20 38.5 4) 100 ppm of III trichloroethane / H20 18.2 5) light crude oil at 0.7% / H2O 10.9 6) 100 ppm III trichloroethane / H2O 5.9 7) 100 ppm Naphtha / H2O 15.8 EXAMPLE 4 A solution of 250 ml was prepared from 300 parts per billion (PPB) of Arochlor 1254 in hexane. This test solution was poured through a funnel containing approximately 3 g of strips of filter material prepared as Example 1. The absorbent composition of Example 1 constituted 5% by weight of the woven polypropylene material molded with the absorbent. The residence time of the solution in the funnel was approximately 1 to 2 seconds. The filtered product having passed through the filter material was analyzed by gas chromatography, from which it was determined that 42% of the PCB 1254 was removed in the single pass.

EXAMPLE 5 A series of tests was performed on aqueous entry samples to which small concentrations of tertiary methyl butyl ether (MTBE) had been added. After filtration under various conditions and with several different substrates, the samples Filters were tested using a GCI-8160 gas chromatograph apparatus from SRI Instruments. A PID detector with helium was used as the vehicle gas. The results are shown in table 2 below. In tests 1 to 7 the filtration media consisted of 12 polypropylene filters bonded by 25.4 cm Ametex spinning placed in a Serfileo cartridge unit. The filtration media was infused with 2% by weight of the absorbent composition of the invention, by the procedure described in example 1. The filtration process was carried out using a recirculation pumping arrangement for a recirculation period as specified in table 2. In tests 8 or 9 of table 2, the means Filtration consisted of a non-woven polypropylene filter with an average pore size of 5 microns. In test 8 the filter material had been infused with 2% by weight of thermal reaction product of isobutyl methacrylate at 10% and ESSKOL at 90%, the second being a product of body linseed oil produced by Reichold Chemical . In test 9 the Esskol was replaced by CYKELIN, which is similarly a product of body linseed oil from Reichold Chemical. The infusion procedure was similar to that described in Example 1 except for the differences in absorbent composition that have been described. In the test procedure, a gravity step was used in tests 8 and 9. Specifically, a 10.1 cm square of the filter material (4 layers of non-woven polypropylene) was placed in a funnel. 40 ml of the contaminated water sample were poured into the material so that they could not flow around it. The effluent from the funnel was collected in a clean sample bottle for analysis. The retention time in the filter was 1 to 2 seconds. It will be evident from the tabularized data in Table 2 that by means of filtering devices of the invention, vast decreases have resulted of MTBE concentrations.

TABLE 2 Start with Filtration Materials Comments Results 1) 333 ppb Spunbonded polypropylene 4 min of circulation 140 ppb infused 2) 333 ppb Spunbonded polypropylene 5 min of circulation 74 ppb infused 3) 333 ppb Spunbonded polypropylene 10 min of 60 ppb infused circulation 4) 333 ppb Polypropylene spunbonded 15 min 52 ppb infused circulation 5) 333 ppb Spunbonded polypropylene 45 min 25 ppb infused circulation 6) 3.33 ppm Spunbonded polypropylene 1 min circulation 650 ppb infused 7) 3.33 ppm Polypropylene spunbonded 5 min circulation 420 ppb infused 8) 3 ppm Nonwoven polypropylene gravity 117 ppb infused 9) 3 ppm Polypropylene non woven gravity 189 ppb infused EXAMPLE 6 A circulation pump was used to pump 3 liters of water through a filter housing holding a 5 micron filter attached by 25.4 cm polypropylene spinning. The filter element had been infused with approximately 17% by weight of the absorbent composition of the invention by the procedure described in example 1. The pump unit recirculated the water at 10 gpm. A small addition of benzene was made to the 3 liter volume and samples were taken from the effluent line of the filter unit after 5 minutes to allow the benzene to completely flow through the unit. Cumulative additions were made for 1 to 1400 ppm of combined benzene to generate the loading graph of Figure 5. All samples were analyzed on the SRI gas chromatograph using a purge and trap system and a photoionization detector. The ppb measurements of the filtered product for the samples are shown in the graph as a function of the concentration of benzene in ppm present in the input samples. It is seen that the removal of benzene is very effective through the entire scale of input concentrations EXAMPLE 7 The procedure of Example 6 was repeated, except that the contaminant for the sample was ethylbenzene. The results are shown in Figure 6, which illustrates a very high filtration efficiency of the present in all scales of proven input concentrations.

EXAMPLE 8 The procedure of Example 6 was repeated, except that the contaminant for the samples was toluene. The results are shown in Figure 7, which again illustrates the high filtration efficiency of the present through the scale of proven input concentrations.

EXAMPLE 9 A sample of industrial waste water containing a variety of contaminants was subjected to filtration using devices and methods according to the present invention, the Serfilco cartridge unit used in the test has 12 polypropylene filters bonded by 25.4 cm Amtck spinning (Ametek, Inc., Sheboygan, W1 53082) in a parallel arrangement. Each filter element had been infused with approximately 17% by weight of the absorbent composition of the invention, by the procedure described in example 1. A test was processed in a single pass through the filter assembly. The flow rate through the filter was about 30 gpm, with the dwell time in the filter assembly being from 1 to 2 seconds. The concentrations of contaminants for the input and output sample were measured and are shown in Table 3 below. It will be evident that an outstanding removal of organic contaminants has been achieved.

TABLE 3 EXAMPLE 10 The absorption of oil and grease (O &G) in an absorbent infused perlite was evaluated using 2.54 cm gravity-driven columns. Preliminary tests show an 84% reduction in oil and fat with an affluent concentration of 83 mg O &G / L. In the method used, a particulate pearlite was infused with the absorbent composition of the invention using the procedure of Example 1. This resulted in perlite media containing 5 to 10% by weight of the absorbent composition. A test column was prepared from a 2.54 cm PVC tube housing a sample of porous fabric for media support. The column was filled with 21 grams of the treated pearlite medium to produce a depth of 24.1 cm. Two liters of water containing O & amp;; G adding small drops of 30 weight oil to the whole volume. The solution was thoroughly mixed by pouring small doses through the column immediately after each mixing / stirring, (this agitation and dosing technique was also used to collect a representative affluent sample). Two liters of the effluent and test effluent were collected and preserved with HCl in amber glass bottles. The method 1664 of the EPA was used for analysis. The samples were analyzed to produce a tributary concentration of 83 mg O & G / L and an effluent concentration of 13 mg O &G / L. This is an 84% reduction in O &G. An untreated control perlite column test produced a 41% reduction of O &g with a tributary of 37 mg O &G / L. Although the present invention has been set forth in terms of specific embodiments thereof, the description herein is such that numerous variations on the invention may now be made by those skilled in the art, the variations of which are still within the scope of the invention. present teaching. Accordingly, the invention should be analyzed by broadly interpreting the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

Claims (14)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A method for removing organic contaminants from an aqueous phase in which the contaminant is solubilized, comprising: passing said aqueous phase through fluid permeable filtration media that has been infused with an absorption composition comprising a reaction product homogeneous thermal component of an oil selected from the group consisting of glycerides, fatty acids, alkenes, and alkynes, and a polymer component of methacrylate or acrylate; said pollutant being thus immobilized in said means; and collecting the purified filtrate having passed through said filtration means.

2. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the pollutant is benzene.

3. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the pollutant is toluene.

4. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the contaminant is xylene.

5. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the pollutant is a halogenated hydrocarbon.

6. - The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the pollutant is an ethoxylated glycol.

7. The method according to claim 1, further characterized by said means comprising a non-woven polypropylene.

8. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that said means comprise paper.

9. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that said means comprise a porous ceramic.

10. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that said means comprise a metal.

11. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that said means comprise a mineral in the form of particles.

12. The method according to claim 11, further characterized in that said mineral is vermiculite.

13. The method according to claim 11, further characterized in that said mineral is pearlite.

14. A filtering apparatus for separating organic contaminants from an aqueous phase in which the contaminant is solubilized, comprising: a basket having an inlet and an outlet for passing said aqueous phase therethrough; Fluid-permeable filtration means that are provided inside said basket in the flow path of the aqueous phase proceeding between said inlet and outlet, said means are fused with a composition comprising a homogeneous thermal reaction product of a oil component selected from the group consisting of glycerides, fatty acids, alkenes, and alkynes, with a polymer component of methacrylate or acrylate; said pollutants in the aqueous phase flow through said basket thus coming into contact with said means and being immobilized therein.