Method for making hydrophobic organic fiber and particulate for sorbing liquid hydrocarbons

Abstract

Methods for making organic fibers for sorbing liquid hydrocarbon spills. The methods include the steps of obtaining unfiberized organic material that has been pretreated with a hydrophobic agent and fiberizing the pretreated unfiberized organic material such that the material is reduced in size to form an organic fiber particulate of a desired size. The fiberizing results in the hydrophobic agent coating all exposed surfaces of the organic fiber particulate to form a substantially hydrophobic organic fiber particulate without the addition of any additional hydrophobic agent.

1 . A method for making hydrophobic organic fibers for sorbing liquid hydrocarbon spills, said method comprising the steps of:
 obtaining an unfiberized organic material that has been pretreated with a hydrophobic agent; and   fiberizing the pretreated unfiberized organic material such that the pretreated unfiberized organic material is reduced in size to form an organic fiber particulate of a desired size;   wherein the hydrophobic agent coats all exposed surfaces of the organic fiber particulate to form a substantially hydrophobic organic fiber particulate; and   wherein no additional hydrophobic agent is added.   
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said step of fiberizing the pretreated unfiberized organic material comprises:
 disposing the pretreated unfiberized organic material into a shredder; and   shredding the pretreated unfiberized organic material into organic fiber particles of an intermediate size.   
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said step of fiberizing the pretreated unfiberized organic material further comprises the step of removing any metallic objects from the shredded pretreated unfiberized organic material. 
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said step of fiberizing the pretreated unfiberized organic material further comprises the steps of:
 transferring the shredded pretreated unfiberized organic material to a hammer mill having a desired screen size;   hammer milling the shredded pretreated unfiberized organic material into the organic fiber particulate of a desired size;   moving the organic fiber particulate into an air filter by allowing the organic fiber particulate to be drawn through a fiberizing and particulating machine; and   separating the organic fiber particulate from an air stream created by the air filter.   
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said step of fiberizing the pretreated unfiberized organic material further comprises:
 transferring the shredded pretreated unfiberized organic material to a hammer mill having a desired screen size;   hammer milling the shredded pretreated unfiberized organic material into the organic fiber particulate of a desired size;   moving the organic fiber particulate into an air filter by allowing the organic fiber particulate to be drawn through a fiberizing and particulating machine; and   separating the organic fiber particulate from an air stream created by the air filter.   
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said step of fiberizing the pretreated unfiberized organic material comprises:
 disposing the pretreated unfiberized organic material into a slicer; and   slicing the pretreated unfiberized organic material into organic fiber particulate of a desired size.   
     
     
         7 . The method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said step of slicing the pretreated organic material into organic fiber particulate of a desired size comprises slicing the pretreated organic material into strips of organic fiber particulate having a width of between 1/32 inches and 1 inch and a length of between 1/32 inches and 60 inches. 
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said step of slicing the pretreated organic material into organic fiber particulate of a desired size comprises slicing the pretreated organic material into strips of organic fiber particulate having a width of between 1/32 inches and 1 inch and a length of between ⅛ inches and 12 inches. 
     
     
         9 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said step of obtaining an unfiberized organic material that has been pretreated with a hydrophobic agent comprises obtaining an amount of waxed paper material. 
     
     
         10 . The method as claimed in  claim 9 , further comprising the steps of cleaning and drying the waxed paper material prior to said fiberizing step. 
     
     
         11 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said step of obtaining an unfiberized organic material that has been pretreated with a hydrophobic agent comprises obtaining at least one of a group of unfiberized organic materials consisting of cardboard, corrugated cardboard, paper, paperboard, formed cellulose, and molded cellulose, that has been pretreated with at least one of a group hydrophobic agents consisting of wax, rosin, starch, casein, whey, soya protein, natural resin, synthetic resin, water-insoluble polyvinyl alcohol, hydroxyethyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyacrylate, and polyester. 
     
     
         12 . A method for making hydrophobic organic fibers for sorbing liquid hydrocarbon spills, said method comprising the steps of:
 obtaining an unfiberized organic material that has been pretreated with a hydrophobic agent; and   fiberizing the pretreated unfiberized organic material such that the pretreated unfiberized organic material is reduced in size to form an organic fiber particulate of a desired size and such that the hydrophobic agent coats all exposed surfaces of the organic fiber particulate to form a substantially hydrophobic organic fiber particulate, wherein said fiberizing step comprises the steps of:   disposing the pretreated unfiberized organic material into a shredder;   shredding the pretreated unfiberized organic material into fiber particles of an intermediate size;   adding untreated organic fibers to the fiber particles of an intermediate size; and   hammer milling a combination of the fiber particles of an intermediate size and the untreated organic fibers into the organic fiber particulate of a desired size.   
     
     
         13 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein said step of adding untreated organic fibers comprises adding at least one of a group of untreated organic fibers consisting of animal fibers and vegetable fibers. 
     
     
         14 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein said step of obtaining an unfiberized organic material that has been pretreated with a hydrophobic agent comprises obtaining at least one of a group of unfiberized organic materials consisting of cardboard, corrugated cardboard, paper, paperboard, formed cellulose, and molded cellulose, that has been pretreated with at least one of a group hydrophobic agents consisting of wax, rosin, starch, casein, whey, soya protein, natural resin, synthetic resin, water-insoluble polyvinyl alcohol, hydroxyethyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyacrylate, and polyester. 
     
     
         15 . A method for making a sorbent for sorbing liquid hydrocarbon spills, said method comprising the steps of:
 obtaining an unfiberized organic material that has been pretreated with a hydrophobic agent;   disposing said pretreated unfiberized hydrophobic organic material into a slicer;   slicing the pretreated unfiberized hydrophobic organic material until it forms strips having a desired size, wherein said slicing step causes the hydrophobic agent to coat all exposed surfaces of the strips of organic material to form substantially hydrophobic strips of organic material, and wherein no additional hydrophobic agent is added; and   disposing the substantially hydrophobic strips organic material into a containment.   
     
     
         16 . The method as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein said step of slicing the pretreated unfiberized hydrophobic organic material into strips of hydrophobic organic material of a desired size comprises slicing the pretreated unfiberized hydrophobic organic material into strips having a width of between 1/32 inches and 1 inch and a length of between 1/32 inches and 60 inches. 
     
     
         17 . The method as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein said step of slicing the pretreated unfiberized hydrophobic organic material into strips of hydrophobic organic material of a desired size comprises slicing the pretreated unfiberized hydrophobic organic material into strips having a width of between 1/32 inches and 1 inch and a length of between ⅛ inches and 12 inches. 
     
     
         18 . The method as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said containment is chosen from a group consisting of a boom, a pillow, a sock, a bilge skimmer, a pad, a blanket, a mops, and a dipstick bun. 
     
     
         19 . The method as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said containment is a dipstick bun.