WO2012162770A1

WO2012162770A1 - Absorbent material that can be used in oily waste removal and method for producing absorbent material that can be used in oily waste removal

Info

Publication number: WO2012162770A1
Application number: PCT/BR2011/000509
Authority: WO
Inventors: Perlaza LAURENCIO CUEVAS; Fuentes ISMAEL RODRIGUES
Original assignee: Laurencio Cuevas Perlaza; Ismael Rodrigues Fuentes
Priority date: 2011-06-02
Filing date: 2011-12-29
Publication date: 2012-12-06
Also published as: BRPI1103089A2

Abstract

"ABSORBENT MATERIAL THAT CAN BE USED IN OILY WASTE REMOVAL AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING ABSORBENT MATERIAL THAT CAN BE USED IN OILY WASTE REMOVAL", wherein said absorbent material is produced from a plant resin, which is produced with a portion of approximately 80% plant oil that is obtained preferably, but not exclusively, from castor bean processing, said plant oil portion being fed into a reactor together with a portion of approximately 20% of fatty acids preferably from the step of transesterification that occurs during the production of biodiesel, and also silicone, in the region of approximately 0.05%, and amines, in the region of approximately 1%, said reactor being heated to a temperature of 100 degrees Celsius for a period of four hours producing the plant resin, which, in a subsequent moulding step, has approximately 50% isocyanate and 5% water added to induce expansion, producing a block of foam that is then fragmented producing the absorbent material disclosed herein that can be used in oily waste removal.

Description

"ABSORBENT MATERIAL FOR EMPLOYEE REMOVAL USE AND. PROCESS FOR PRODUCING ABSORBENT MATERIAL FOR EMPLOYEE REMOVAL".

The present patent application deals with an absorbent material specially developed for use in the removal of oily effluents in general as well as particularly for use in the absorption of hydrocarbons (petroleum derivatives) and vegetable and animal oils possibly arising from accidental leaks.

As is well known, environmental issues have increasingly taken place in society's debates about the responsible use of natural resources and the prevention of accidents that harm nature, among others. ^;

Within this scope, the notion that accidents involving the dumping of hazardous substances into the environment should be dealt with efficiently and quickly, thus minimizing the impact on nature, has been widespread.

Also within this scope is the concern with the absorption of oily effluents in general, especially in the industrial area, always focusing on the smallest possible impact on the environment.

Environmental issues tend to leap into the eyes of the world's public during major occurrences such as the leakage caused in recent times by the loss of the "Deep Mater Horizon" oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, or by accidents with oil tankers, the most iconic of which was the "Exxon Valdez" ship that year 1989 in Alaska.

In general, when preventive measures fail and a major accident occurs, there is only the search for the best solution to minimize damage to the environment, and still occurrences involving oil spill and other substances, especially at sea. , rivers or other bodies of water ^{^} are useful izadas some bit-efficient solutions.

Among the solutions commonly used is the physical removal of oil upon prior use. floating barriers that seek to delimit an area, where they can then be used later from equipment for removal (scraping, suction, etc.), or even vessels for application of dispersing substances, and this last solution simply masks the problem, since in the most cases the oil spilled (and plus dispersants) has just sinking causing further damage in the depths of water bodies, where depending on the depth and current regimes, removal becomes even more difficult for ^'not impossible.

In case of earth leakage other solutions are used, but in general always In the environment, some unpolluted contaminant material remains in the environment.

On the other hand, environmental concern has motivated the research and production of more efficient, less polluting fuels that can preferably be obtained from renewable sources, such as ethanol and more recently biodiesel, a substitute for diesel obtained from petroleum refining, as well as encourages to keep the man in the field, ensuring his livelihood with better quality of life.

Specifically with respect to biodiesel, it is generally obtained by the transesterification of vegetable oils or any naturally occurring oily substance, and from this transesterification process (which occurs in a reaction environment in the presence of heat, and in acid medium) a significant portion of crude glycerin is generated as waste, a matter which has no practical use on a large scale.

For this reason, the production of biodiesel, on the one hand, allows the production of a less polluting fuel that is not so aggressive to the environment and that comes from renewable resources. On the other hand, it generates, as a result of its production, a waste that cannot be found. demand for commercial employment, which in itself represents an environmental liability to be resolved.

In view of this state of the art, the subject matter addressed by this request has been developed. which, as one of its main aspects, proposes a new absorbent material for use in the removal of oily effluents. whereas this patent application has yet another major aspect, the process by which said absorbent material is manufactured for use in the removal of oily effluents.

The absorbent material for use in the removal of oily effluents treated herein, when ready, is presented as a fragmented foam with high absorption capacity of oils and other similar substances, and in the processing of such material is used as part of its material. raw material, the transesterification residue from biodiesel production, ie previously purified crude glycerin.

The absorbent product for use in the removal of oily effluents treated here, as well as the process by which it is produced, allows, on the one hand, to obtain an alternative solution within the absorption of oily effluents of various natures and on the other. On the other hand, it allows the disposal of an industrial waste (glycerin) that would otherwise not be of practical use and would represent, by itself and if not properly managed, a material that may eventually act as a contaminant of the environment.

It is clear and evident that the subject matter of this patent application has technical advantages on two different fronts _. , that is, allowing, on the one hand, the production in scale of an oily waste absorbent material and, on the other hand, employing in the manufacture of said absorbent material, as one of its raw materials, a substance without demand for practical or commercial use.

The present patent application can be clearly understood in all its particulars from the detailed description that will be made based on figure number 1 (single figure), which schematically represents a process flow diagram for the production of the absorbent material. of oily effluents treated herein.

Said figure 1 contemplates a first block (still unaware of the process proposed here), which is represented, in general, the production of biodiesel (block A), being that in the conventional biodiesel processing it is. The transesterification step (block B) is foreseen, from which both the biodiesel itself (block C) and a significant portion of crude glycerin (block D) are obtained in a simplified manner.

From block D of figure 1 which deals with obtaining crude glycerin, one specifically comes into the scope of the present process, where it is predicted that the portion of crude glycerin (block D), which represents an average volume in the range of 10% of the volume of biodiesel produced, subjected to the action of an inorganic acid (block E) by a percentage of 4%, which fractionates the crude glycerin into salts (not used) indicated by block F, as well as in a useful portion of fatty acids (G block), where such raw material (fatty acids) corresponds to a range of approximately 20% over the formula to obtain the present oil-absorbent material.

The fatty acids (block G) are then fed into a reactor (block H), where a portion of vegetable oil (block I) is also fed at a rate of approximately 80% of the total volume of absorbent material to be obtained. vegetable oil portion .. is preferably, but not exclusively, derived from castor bean processing. Processing to obtain the vegetable oil employed in formulating the absorbent material treated herein is not detailed in view of following conventional techniques beyond the scope of the present patent application.

Along with the vegetable oil portion (block I) are also fed other raw materials (block J) being: silicone in the range of 0.05% and amines approximately 1%, and the reactor (block H) is heated by heat exchanger. (vapor) to reach an ideal temperature range around 100 degrees centigrade ^' , thus generating, after a processing time of 4 hours, a charge of vegetable resin (block K).

The vegetable resin thus obtained is then subjected to a molding step (block L), where, after being added with a portion of approximately 50% isocyanate (block M), it undergoes an expansion and solidification reaction. caused by the addition of water (block R) in the proportion of 5% of the mixed volume, generating a solid foam block (block. N), with average density around 48kg / m3.

The solid foam block (block N) is then subjected to shredder equipment (block O), thereby generating a given volume of fragmented material (block P), which has the consistency of a material in the form of flakes or strips and which results in the final product which is the oily effluent absorbing material proposed here (block Q).

The final product (block Q) has the desirable characteristic of being fully receptive to contact and binding with oily substances and other non-water miscible effluents, absorbing and isolating such oily effluents to prevent their return to the environment from which they were removed.

When in an aquatic environment, the final product (block Q) still has the particular desirable feature of not absorbing water thus avoiding increasing its density, which would otherwise cause it. your sinking.

Also regarding the functional characteristics of the absorbent material for use in the removal of oily effluents proposed here it can be emphasized that it is biodegradable in nature, not being aggressive to the environment and for this reason totally safe. Specific tests have shown that the absorbent material treated herein, when mixed with soil has a great tendency to biodegrade into organic manure over a period of 45 days.

From the point of view of the process proposed here, it can be divided into six distinct steps, which are sequentially organized as follows: a first step where it is added to a portion of crude glycerin (originating from the biodiesel transesterification step), an approximately 4% portion of an inorganic acid which fractionates crude glycerin into (unused) salts and a useful portion of fatty acids; the fatty acids (in a second stage of the present process and in a percentage range of approximately 20% relative to the total formulation volume of the absorbent material treated herein) are then fed into a reactor, where it is also fed in this second stage, a portion of vegetable oil in a range of 80%, which is preferably derived from castor bean processing, and still within that second stage and together with the portion of vegetable oil and fatty acids are also fed to the reactor - silicone, in the range of approximately 0.05% and amines, in the range of approximately

After the reactor is properly charged it is heated by a heat exchanger (steam) to reach an ideal temperature range around 100 degrees centigrade, thus generating after a processing time of 4 hours which constitutes a third In the present process stage, a load of vegetal resin, which in a fourth stage of the present process is then subjected to a molding stage, where in a fifth stage of the present process a 50% isocyanate portion is added. then undergoing a reaction ,, expansion which is caused by the addition of water in a proportion of approximately 5% by volume ^'mixed and solidification, creating a solid block of foam with an average density of around 48kg / m3; In a sixth step of the present process, the solid foam block is then subjected to a fragmentation step, thereby generating a given volume of fragmented material, which has the consistency of a material in the form of flakes and / or strips and which results. in the final product of the present proceeding.

Claims

1. "ABSORBENT MATERIAL FOR OIL WASTE REMOVAL", which is used to absorb oily effluents in general and which may have a consistency of a material in the form of flakes or strips and is characterized by the fact that it includes in its formulation , fatty acids, derived from crude glycerin, in a proportion of approximately 20%, as well as a portion of vegetable oil in the range of 80%, as well as other raw materials being silicone, in the range of approximately 0.05%. , and amines, in the range of approximately 1%, said material further including a portion of isocyanate, in the range of approximately 50% and water, in the proportion of 5% of the mixed volume.

"Absorbent material for use in the removal of oil effluent" according to Claim 1, characterized in that the absorbent material is in the condition of flakes or strips after the solid foam block from which it is derived. be subjected to a fragmentation step.

3. "ABSORBENT MATERIAL FOR OIL WASTE REMOVAL", according to claim 2, characterized in that the solid foam block from which the proposed material derives as flakes or strips after being such a block properly fragmented, it has an average density of 48kg / m3.

4. "PROCESS FOR PRODUCING ABSORBENT MATERIAL FOR OIL WASTE REMOVAL", which is used to enable the manufacture of an absorbent material for the capture of oily effluents in general, in which the material is in the form of flakes or characterized by the fact that the absorbent material is based on one of its raw materials as crude glycerin from the biodiesel transesterification step, said crude glycerin, which is already subject to a first stage, in which a portion of an inorganic acid, in the proportion of approximately 4%, is added, which fractionates the crude glycerin into a portion of salts as well as a useful portion of fatty acids that is used in the material formulation. absorbent in a ratio of approximately 20%; the fatty acids in a range of approximately 20% and in a second stage of the present process are then fed into a reactor where a portion of vegetable oil in the range of approximately 80% is also fed in this second stage. It is preferably derived from the processing of castor beans, still within said second stage and together with the vegetable and fatty acid portion, other raw materials including silicon in the proportion of approximately 0.05% and amines in the proportion of approximately 1%, and after properly loaded the reactor, it is preferably heated by a steam-operated heat exchanger until it reaches an ideal temperature range around 100 degrees centigrade, thus generating, after a processing time of four hours, which constitutes a third stage of the present process, a charge of vegetable resin, which in a fourth stage of the present process is then subjected to a molding stage. , where in a fifth step of the present process it is added with a portion of isocyanate in the range of approximately 50%, and approximately 5% of water of the mixed volume, undergoing an expansion and solidification reaction. addition of water, thus generating a solid foam block with an average density around 48kg / m3 ', -; - <in a sixth step of the present process, the solid foam block is then subjected to a fragmentation step, generating a given volume of shredded material which has the consistency of a material in the form of flakes or strips and which results in the end product of the present process.