Ferromagnetic Sorbents For Collection and Utilization of Oil Products SHISHKIN Andrei 1, a , MIRONOVS Viktors 2,b , LAPKOVSKIS Vjaceslavs 3,c , TREIJS Juris 4,d and KORJAKINS Aleksandrs 5,e 1,2,3,5 Riga Technical University, Azenes Street 16/20, Riga, LV - 1048, Latvia 4 Rezekne Higher Education Institution, Atbrivosanas aleja 76, LV - 4601, Rezekne, Latvia a andrej.shishkin@gmail.com, b viktors.mironovs@gmail.com, c lap911@gmail.com, d juristreijs@inbox.lv, e aleks@latnet.lv Keywords: Ferromagnetic sorbent, sorbent, composite sorbent, oil spill collection, iron powder, hollow microspheres. Abstract. Current paper reports the research conducted at Riga Technical University and Rezekne Higher Education Institution on the development of sorbent material - closed hollow microspheres with ferromagnetic properties and high specific surface. Existing sorbents for oil products collection are reviewed and compared . The manufacturing process of the proposed composite sorbent is described and its structure and morphology are discussed. It was found that it allows an efficient and safe way for surface water cleaning contaminated by spilled oil products. In particular, it shows a storing effect on a thin oil film (1-2 mm). Adsorption capacity towards motor oil is investigated and compared with other magnetic sorbents on metal powders base. Newly proposed sorbent demonstrates a significantly higher adsorption capacity comparing to iron powders. Sorbent saturated by spilled oil can be removed by means of magnetic (or electromagnetic) captures. Introduction Despite the increased concern about water pollution accidents involving oil spills from large- capacity tankers and oil emission from off-shore oil drillings remain an environmental hazard and their removal from water and sea shores is of a global importance. Various oil sorbent materials are widely used for spilled oil isolation and collection [1]–[4]. The significant problem of many oil sorbents application is their collection from water or ground surfaces and one of the possible solutions is sorbent gathering by means of magnetic (electromagnetic) forces. In order to achieve this that sorbent has to possess magnetic properties. Known sorbents with ferromagnetic properties contain solid magnetic particles, such as barium ferrite and/or iron oxide powder [5]. Water is decontaminated by filtering through the sorbent layer. Another known sorbent consists of ferromagnetic, carbon and hydrogen at particular proportion of components, where ratio of the carbon mass to hydrogen is 30-60 w% and powder particles are spherical [6]. There are sorbents with explicit ferromagnetic properties made of magnetic soft materials, for example iron powder sorbents [7]. Main shortcomings of these sorbents are low efficiency, high product cost, and insufficient buoyancy. There are cost-efficient ferromagnetic iron oxides containing sorbents obtained from industrial wastes, for example crushed iron ore particles [8]. This sorbent contains 5-59 w% of ferromagnetic iron oxides and 41-95 wt% of silica from the same iron ore. The sorbent surface is hydrofobized with amines. This magnetic sorbent possesses good functional properties. One of the disadvantages of such sorbents is low buoyancy. A sorbent and the means of its extraction by pyrolysis of industrial and municipal wastewaters sediments is reported [9]. This sorbent is obtained by sediment fractions treatment at 500-550°C temperature and consequent activation at 750-850°C for 5-10 minutes, with simultaneous neutralization of gaseous products by burning at temperature below 1000°C. Shortcoming of such sorbents is a complex process of preparation and their low buoyancy. Key Engineering Materials Vol. 604 (2014) pp 122-125 © (2014) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.604.122 All rights reserved. No part of contents of this paper may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of TTP, www.ttp.net. (ID: 46.109.139.228-04/03/14,11:16:13)