Innovative Oilfield Application for Flax Fiber, Shives and Dust

当陆上或水上发生意外漏油时，在清理漏油时会使用吸油剂。普普通通 商用吸着剂是合成聚丙烯或聚亚安酯聚合物材料。虽然这些吸附剂 它们从不可再生资源中提取，不可生物降解，并为永远的 塑料污染的增加。或者，天然纤维，如棉花、木棉和马利筋，已经显示出 表现出与这些合成同类产品相似或更高的吸油能力。一种有效的吸附材料 吸油(亲油性)和拒水(疏水性)。有趣的是，亚麻纤维含有一种天然蜡质。 不吸水(疏水)且亲油的涂料。一旦亚麻纤维被清洗，亚麻残留物 (碎纤维、碎屑和灰尘)通常被焚烧或作为废物送往垃圾填埋场。 这项由NSERC Engage Grant资助的研究将调查亚麻纤维废料的新用途 将它们转化为增值产品。将亚麻原料与热处理后的吸湿性进行比较。 木头锯掉了灰尘。由于吸油废物一般被送往堆填区，我们会根据 美国环境保护署(EPA)规定，方法9095B-涂料滤液试验和 方法9096-液体释放试验。 亚麻材料的性能将使人们能够提出与其吸附性能相关的建议 并具有在石油和天然气行业中使用的潜力。亚麻废料可能会增加公司的利润 否则就是浪费材料。

When accidental oil spills occur on land or water, sorbents are used in the oil spill cleanup. Common commercial sorbents are synthetic polypropylene or polyurethane polymer materials. Although these sorbents work well they derive from non-renewable resources, are not biodegradable and contribute to the evermore increase in plastics pollution. Alternatively natural fibers such as cotton, kapok and milkweed have shown to exhibit similar or higher oil sorption capacities than there synthetic counterparts. An effective sorbent material attracts oil (oleophilicity) and repels water (hydrophobicity). Interestingly, flax fibers have a natural wax coating which repel water (hydrophobic) and are oleophilic. Once the flax fibres are cleaned the flax residues (broken fibres, shives and dust) are generally burnt or sent to landfills as waste. The research supported by this NSERC Engage Grant will investigate a novel use for flax fibre wastes to transform them into a value added product. The flax materials will be compared to the sorbency of heat-treated wood saw dust. Since oil sorbent waste is generally sent to landfills, two tests will be conducted according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, Method 9095B-Paint Filter Liquids Test and Method 9096-Liquid Release Test. The performance of flax materials will enable recommendations to be made related to their sorption properties and potential for use in the oil and gas industries. The flax waste may increase profits for the company from an otherwise waste material.