Hybrid, Recycled Oil Remediation Materials and Energy Conversion Method [HYOREC], EPL Composite Solutions Ltd

由于石油勘探和运输，每年大约有1亿加仑的石油意外泄漏到海洋中。石油修复材料（吸附剂），其吸收石油优先于其他液体，通常部署作为清理操作的一部分。目前可用的吸附剂是低效的，由昂贵的原生聚合物制成，不能重复使用。该项目建议通过开发和证明一种由回收的工业废料纤维制成的吸附剂的概念来解决当前材料的问题。该项目具有创新性，因为它将研究再生纤维吸油的基础科学，从而开发出新颖、性能更高、成本更低的吸附剂，以满足最终用户的需求。此外，它将开发一种创新的再加工路线，使使用过的油性材料能够重新利用。该项目的主要目标是：对再生纤维的吸油性进行实验室分析；利用所学知识制作回收吸附剂原型；根据最终用户和行业要求测试性能，以验证概念，并开发将使用过的油性材料转化为再利用的工艺。最终目标是证明整个概念在商业上是可行的。这项技术的主要好处将是：成本更低，材料效率更高，可根据最终用户的需求量身定制；回收工业废物（通常会被填埋）的新用途，以及认可的再处理路线的附加价值。该项目的可能结果和影响将是创造新的回收废物制造技术，并对就业和创造财富产生经济和社会影响。更有效的可回收吸附剂将对环境产生积极影响，包括减少原始材料的生产，防止垃圾填埋和更有效地清理溢油。

About 100 million gallons of oil are spilt accidently in the oceans every year as a result of oil expoloration and transportation. Oil remediation materials (sorbents), which soak up oil in preference to other liquds, are usually deployed as part of a clean up operation. Currently available sorbents are in-effcient, made from expensive virgin polymers and cannot be re-used.This project proposes to address the issues with current materials by devloping and proving a concept of sorbents made from recycled industrial waste fibres. The project is innovative because it will research the underlying science of recycled fibre oil absorption to allow development of novel, higher performance, lower cost sorbents, tailored to end user needs. Furthermore, it will develop an innovative re-processing route to enable the re-use of used, oily materials.The key objectives of this project are: to conduct lab analysis of recycled fibre oil absorption; to make prototype recycled sorbents using knowledge gained; test performance in line with end user and indusrty requirements to validate the concept and to develop a process for converting used, oily materials for re-use. The ultimate aim is to prove the overall concept is commercially viable.The main benefits of this technology will be: Lower cost, higher efficiency materials, tailored to end user need; a new use for recycled industrial waste (that would normally be landfilled) and the added value of a recognised re-processing route.The likely outomes and impacts of this project will be the creation of new manufacturing technology for recycled waste with economic and social impacts of job and wealth creation. More efficient, recycled sorbents will have several positive environmental impacts including reduction of virgin material production, prevention of landfill waste and more efficient oil spill clean up.