Using paper to clean up oil spills
23 Oct 2012
A project in Slovenia is hoping to transform papermill sludge into an absorbent capable of cleaning up oil, fat and chemical spills.
Following a process of separation and compaction, Marko Likon at CEO at the Slovenia-based Technological, Environmental and Logistical Centre (TOC), believes paper waste can become an absorbent material which floats on water and binds hydrophobic substances.
The goal is to handle a quarter of the papermill waste produced in Europe
The scattered material would then be encircled with a rope to contain and manage the pollution.
Likon added that when the calorific value of the absorbed substance is high, the material can be used as a secondary fuel source.
A first assembly line has already been tested in Slovenia.
“There are plans to expand our operation with a new production line within the Slovenian papermill and later on with another production line in Finland,” said Franc Cernec, Project Leader at TOC.
The goal is to handle a quarter of the papermill waste produced in Europe, which currently represents over four million tonnes per year.
“Clearly, to put such waste material to the benefits as described has merit,” said Grahame Mackenzie from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Hull, who is testing the use of plant spore shells to mop up oil.
The spore shells are made of the polymer sporopollenin which can be recycled.
I would question whether this project brings value for money
He added: “On the face of it, the project seems to have been well thought through in terms of materials, costs and end use of product once recovered.”
However, some are more cautious on the value of such approach. “I would question whether this project brings value for money,” Sudipta Seal, Director of the Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis Center at the University of Central Florida, Orlando, USA.
His own project is looking to turn fly ash into a cleaning agent.
By comparison to the €1.5 million overall budget of the EU project, he claims he only spent $67,000 (€53,000) in US National Science Foundation funding for his project’s proof of concept.
