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US chemists have created an eco-friendly agent, helps to collect oil from the water surface
oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico i>
Chemists from the City College of New York создали based reagent phytol , which will help eliminate the effects paraffin oil leaks on the water . The substance being caused to the contour of the oil slick, reduces surface tension, resulting in reduced spot diameter. Then concentrated so oil is easier to collect or burn on the spot.
There are many methods of collecting oil from the surface of the water, have varying degrees of complexity, cost, and efficiency. Separation of oil and water by means of centrifugal forces, filtration, adsorption, mechanical collection of oil due to viscosity. All methods have their drawbacks.
For example, when filtering filters are not subject to recovery, they get one-time, in the sea to the place they need to spill to carry a large stock. If optimize filtering by means of pumps, it is necessary to spend more energy process. In any case, less than the surface area of the spot, the easier it is to remove.
Method spray amphiphilic (soluble in water and fats) reagents that reduce surface tension, which is called "grazing» (herding), allows concentration of paraffin oil spilled stains. This is an easy and fairly liquid subspecies, which forms a thin film on the surface of the water.
As explained by a college chemistry professor George John, "the best known chemical" shepherds "of today are chemically stable, non-biodegradable and therefore remain in the ecosystem of the ocean for years. Our aim was to develop a material friendly to the environment as an alternative to today's silicon-based polymers ».
Scientists have developed substance based on phytol - organic chemical compound which, in particular, is part of chlorophyll. It copes well with the concentration of oil spills, and the very ocean ecosystem fully recyclable with no harmful consequences.
Source: geektimes.ru/post/252714/
