WO2011036508A1

WO2011036508A1 - Method for decontamination by adsorption of vapours and liquids generated throughout the oil chain in the presence of water and soil, from spills, handling and final disposal thereof, using cleaner technology

Info

Publication number: WO2011036508A1
Application number: PCT/IB2009/007016
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carlos Felipe Forero Monsalve
Original assignee: Carlos Felipe Forero Monsalve
Priority date: 2009-09-23
Filing date: 2009-09-23
Publication date: 2011-03-31

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for recovering hydrocarbons, for decontaminating water and soil where said spills take place, in particular aimed at keeping the environment uncontaminated, and enabling small business owners, traders and industry in general to achieve adequate waste management, as well as methods for treating water in an effective, quick, cost-efficient manner, unlike known technologies which can basically only be applied to major spills and require expensive equipment.

Description

PROCESS FOR DECONTAMINATION THROUGH ADSORTION OF VAPORS AND LIQUIDS GENERATED THROUGH THE OIL CHAIN IN THE PRESENCE OF WATER AND SOIL, FROM SPILLS, ITS MANAGEMENT AND FINAL DISPOSITION APPLYING TECHNOLOGY

MORE CLEAN.

Technical Sector: The invention relates to a process for decontamination and / or recovery, by adsorption of vapors and liquids, generated along the oil chain, in the presence of water and soil, from spills, a process where the adsorbent applied It is obtained from recycled fibrous vegetable solid waste, consisting of paper, textiles and plant waste to collect substances less dense than water and encapsulate the vapors caused by spills or leaks of products indicated above, applying cleaner technology and low cost for the fuel user.

Previous Technique:

Adsorb is the phenomenon by which molecules of a gas or a liquid are fixed as a surface layer in certain solid substances.

When there is a leak or spill of fuels such as (ACPM, Gasoline, full oil, IFOS,) or light hydrocarbons that fall into the water (sea or river or water storage) the fuel tends to spread and create a water mirror by movement and causing death, since it does not let oxygen pass; traditional technique is used to remove or extract it with conventional equipment (skymer, vactor, pumps) designed for the oil activity applied to crude oil; being designed to collect oil, in the case of light fuels they do not become effective and therefore the use of chemical dispersants should be used, which must be applied by means of helicopters or light aircraft, boats, in order for the fuel to sink and biodegrade in a long time.

In case of accidental spills of hydrocarbons on land, to date it has been recommended to handle such incidents without using water, but with absorbent of different types. In the event of a vehicle crash, no equipment or processes have been taken into account to remove said road fuel, which can cause another vehicle to crash.

Currently, to collect liquid substances of less density than water, which cause contamination of this, as in the case of oil spills, mechanical equipment is used, which requires a complex and expensive process.

In case of accidental spills of hydrocarbons to date, it has been recommended to handle such incidents without using water, but with absorbent teeth. With the new technology of the present invention we are changing this modality, minimizing the risk of explosion, shortening the cleaning processes and the use of conventional equipment, reducing times, emergency care costs and especially rescuing non-renewable resources.

There are other types of products on the market such as vegetable, synthetic and adsorbent absorbents such as wood, chips or sawdust, mineral products such as talc, mica or fiberglass, carboniferous products such as graphite, coal or coke, plastic products, such as polyethylene, polyethylene or PVC, rubber products and products based on industrial waste, such as cellulose fibers, cotton and nylon, which can perform the same function of the Now adsorbent, but with less absorption capacity and greater cost.

Products such as sawdust, peat and sand present problems for handling and transportation because they are very bulky, they are slow to absorb the hydrocarbon once they come in contact, large quantities are required due to their low adsorption capacity, they are not applicable in water and present problems after being used because they become hazardous waste. There are also other types of products that can serve as a complement to the function of the absorbent, some of these are degreasers, detergents, cleaners, etc., biodegradable; Biodegradability occurs in the product and not in hydrocarbons, which is transporting the pollution to another part. If this is not the case with Adsorbent Now since the fuel can be recovered in soil and water, the adsorbent can be reused for several times.

With respect to plastic barriers and containment dams in particular as well as expensive, they stop the spill but do not absorb the hydrocarbon, being able to create emergencies and damages to the Environment unlike the adsorbent Now presented here that immobilizes the spill and also adsorbs the hydrocarbon, allowing oxygen to pass through and preventing the death of everything covered by the hydrocarbon.

In relation to cartons, this type of material adsorbs very little and once contaminated becomes a greater volume of hazardous waste.

Degreasers and cleaners do not fulfill the same function, what they really do is transfer the hydrocarbons and also because they are not biodegradable, they contribute even more to water pollution.

There is also a variety of products on the market such as activated carbon, molecular sieves, zeolites and polystyrene materials, materials that due to their properties and cost are not suitable for this specific type of treatment.

In the state of the art there is no known process, such as that of the present application, which involves a biodegradable adsorbent product that is obtained from urban solid wastes, such as recycled fibrous vegetables, consisting of paper, textiles and plant residues, capable of collecting less dense liquid substances than water and encapsulating the vapors caused by spills or leaks of hydrocarbons in soil and water; these substances can be oil spills and their derivatives, oils, solvents etc., vegetable oils, which are recovered in a clean and safe way, both from bodies of water and from the earth, whereby the impact on the environment of oil spills is significantly reduced. This product attracts to its material surface in a liquid or gaseous state, but the molecules of said materials do not penetrate the body of the product particles, as in the case of absorbent products in which the liquid material is retained between its molecules or gas The Now adsorbent product is light and easy to transport, due to its adsorption capacity it requires smaller volumes, it is fast adsorption, it can be used in water, once used it can be collected easily and can be processed so it does not It becomes a polluting residue like other products. This product is described in the PCT patent: W02004 / 050267 A1. It is important to keep in mind that all those who use or handle hydrocarbons generate waste either liquid or solid, therefore they can be as "small, medium or large waste generator"; hence the need to develop a process that first involves logistics, storage, collection and final disposal of the aforementioned waste; that will protect human health and the environment from hazardous waste.

Consequently, it must be controlled from the source, applying technologies adaptable to your need, set up a transitory collection center in each company, where the generated waste is classified, deactivated (sludge, water and waste), storing and delivering them to a company specialized, that owns all the infrastructure of utilization; and the specific products and devices required to achieve the objective. Therefore we have developed a process to maintain the environment without contamination, and that allows the small business owner, the merchant and the industry in general, to achieve an adequate management of waste, as well as processes for the treatment of water, in an effective way , agile and at cost adequate, compared to known technologies that are basically applicable to large spills and that require expensive equipment.

Description of the invention

The process of spill management to preserve the environment developed by us includes: A-Identify the source of the leak and the size of the spill:

Determine how far the stain has come to contain it, confining the area impregnated with Now adsorbent dikes, preventing it from spreading, reaching sewers, surrounding soils or coming into contact with water or other liquid or body.

B-Suspend activities in the area, stop or suppress the outflow of fuel.

C- cordon the stain area.

D- Surround the spill area with the demarcation tape to indicate the danger.

E- Once the stain is cordoned off with the barriers or bulk material used, we proceed with the pad to suck or absorb the fuel; When the pad is covered, its capacity drains into a bucket or bin.

F- Press the pad repeatedly on the stain.

G- Squeeze the pad into the sorting bucket and repeat the previous step until the entire hydrocarbon is absorbed.

H- Spread the biodegradable adsorbent product, which is obtained from urban solid waste, such as recycled fibrous vegetables, consisting of paper, textiles and plant residues on the wet part; by means of a sprinkler and let adsorb for a moment.

I- Collect the adsorbent impregnated with the plastic tools intended for collection. Or with a vacuum with ejector principle and deposit in the appropriate containers. J- The impregnated adsorbent must be collected in a bag for hazardous waste and not mixed with any other waste.

k- Sorting bags with impregnated ones must be packed in sorting containers and / or stored in suitable places to avoid contact with water and other elements or waste.

L- Squeeze the barriers and pads impregnated in a container and then be stored in appropriate places.

Ni- After squeezing the impregnated barrier, it is packed in the sorting bag to prevent it from coming into contact with other waste.

N- Store the recovered hydrocarbons independently, away from sources of ignition and protected from water and possible leaks or spills. O-With adsorbent clean tools, other surfaces and body parts impregnated. Once this process has been carried out, the treatment of the impregnated adsorbent is continued to guarantee a safe final disposition, with a comprehensive management plan; where the impregnated adsorbent resulting from the waste recovery process, must be deposited in a suitable container or plastic bag, thus avoiding collecting waste other than the adsorbent impregnated with hydrocarbons without the presence of different wastes or wastes, such as sand, organic waste such as grass, sawdust, fruit peels, animal droppings, and other elements that affect the properties of the adsorbent contained in the hydrocarbon. The final disposition of the product allows its Reuse, use as raw material for other processes, Incineration, and Subject to Bioremediation.

• REUSE.

It is reused unlimitedly if it is handled correctly and protected from contact with other waste and allows to recover the adsorbed Hydrocarbon by 80%. When using the barrier, pad and bag, it is recommended to subject it to squeezing processes by mechanical or centrifugal force and you can continue using it indefinitely. In order to reuse the bulk adsorbent, it is recommended once used to deposit it in water and leave for several minutes so that by decantation process where the collected waste is separated such as soil, sand metals and others, once washed it must be immersed in descaler (when you have collected thick hydrocarbons such as crude, valvulins, fats etc.) pass them through a centrifuge at 1350 rpm for 5 minutes, the adsorbent is left with a minimum amount of hydrocarbon and can be used again without losing its adsorption properties.

• AS RAW MATERIAL FOR OTHER PROCESSES.

The Adsorbent used is re-implemented as a raw material in the manufacture of new products such as the manufacture of briquettes, absorbent cloth, packaging material and in the process of obtaining the same adsorbent, (patent applications pending)

• INCINERATION.

When the adsorbent is used, the final disposition can be given for incineration with an authorized company; As its composition is vegetable, it generates few ashes but the indications to dispose of the absorbed hydrocarbon must be taken into account, it is recommended before incinerating, centrifuging.

• SUBMIT THE IMPREGATED ADORTS TO BIORREMEDIATION Another alternative for final disposal is to subject the adsorbent to bioremediation, for its degradation the hydrocarbon is removed by centrifugal force. Then mix the adsorbent with other plant residues; The compots obtained can be used to recover the topsoil. There are other benefits of the product such as:

Partially eliminates the volume of organic waste by using products such as sawdust, sand, bast for spill management, allows decontamination of water to be discharged without fuel or in the worst case avoids incinerating water

Work tool: helps the development of cleaning and maintenance activities in an effective and safe way.

Personal safety equipment: it can be used to clean body parts impregnated with oils and other hydrocarbons.

Industrial safety equipment: prevent the lubricant or fuel from the dripping machinery constantly reaching the foundations by destroying them and generating more maintenance costs

Prevention element: As is the case with crashed vehicle accidents on the roads, fuels can be quickly cleaned and other vehicles can be prevented from slipping and causing more accidents or by keeping controlled oil spills avoiding work accidents.

Environmental protection element: Its manufacture, application, final disposal do not generate any type of waste that may affect the ecosystem and its environment; They also protect the environment and non-renewable natural resources, such as hydrocarbons.

It is important to attend the emergencies caused by the spills, to have the kit that facilitates and makes the process more efficient, the said kit is made up of a cane inside which the following elements ready to act are placed. 2 barriers moored and deposited circularly inside the caneca * Bulk adsorbent material

v Adsorbent material pads

• Adsorbent material barriers

* protective elements

■ / instructive

Once all the elements have been placed, the caneca is covered and closed, which must be placed in a visible place. Below we show examples in which the process of our invention applied to the way in which an emergency caused by a spill using the emergency kit, which includes the adsorbent product, can be dealt with in detail.

Example-1 To apply our process comprehensively we must follow the following steps:

1- Identify the source of the leak and the size of the spill:

Determine how far the stain has come to contain it, confining the area impregnated with adsorbent barrier dams, adsorbent pads and bulk adsorbent (we recommend using the used adsorbent first) preventing it from spreading, reaching sewers, to adjacent soils. or come into contact with water or other liquid or body.

2- Stop activities in the area, stop or suppress the outflow of fuel.

3- Bring the prevention kit.

4- Dress the personal protection elements. 5- Place the pad in the drip.

6- Unpack the barrier and cord off the stain area.

7- Surround the spill area with the demarcation tape to indicate the danger.

8- Once the stain is cordoned off with the barriers or bulk material used, proceed with the pad to suck or absorb the fuel; when the pad has covered its ability to drain into a bucket or caneca.

9- Press the pad repeatedly on the stain.

10- Squeeze the pad into the sorting bucket and repeat the previous step until the entire hydrocarbon is absorbed.

11- Spread the adsorbent on the wet part; Let adsorb for a moment.

12- Collect the adsorbent impregnated with the plastic tools intended for collection. Deposit in the appropriate containers.

13-The impregnated adsorbent must be collected in a bag for hazardous waste and not mixed with any other waste.

14- Sorting bags with impregnated products must be packed in sorting containers and / or stored in suitable places to avoid contact with water and other elements or waste.

15-Squeeze the barriers and pads impregnated in a container and then be stored in appropriate places.

16- After squeezing the impregnated barrier, it is packed in the sorting bag to prevent it from coming into contact with other waste.

17- Store the recovered hydrocarbons independently, away from sources of ignition and protected from water and possible leaks or spills.

18- With adsorbent clean the tools, other surfaces and parts of the body impregnated.

19- Report the incident to your immediate boss and the environmental coordinator. According to the degree of emergency of the incident or if it catches fire, call the fire department and competent authorities. 20- Request that the adsorbent material, barriers and pads used be dispatched, as well as the support elements (gloves, masks, etc.)

21 - Inform the personnel in charge of the final disposition so that the impregnated hydrocarbon wastes are collected, taken to the collection center and receive the final responsible disposition.

22- Re-assemble the kit in the following order, so that it is available to act, quickly and timely:

Clean and dry the collected fuel bin

Tie up 2 barriers

Deposit it circularly inside the caneca

Place the bulk material

I placed pads

V Place the barrier

Deposit protection elements

Place the instruction

Cover and close the caneca and place it in a visible place.

The kit is applicable for emergency care when more than 1 gallon of fuel is spilled.

Small spills can be treated with the used adsorbent material and the daily use pad.

Example-2

The adsorbent can be applied in fuel leak detection processes, as follows:

The sediment of the oil / grease trap in each service station is air dried before being sent for final disposal in the public waste system

Tie a stick to a 50 x 6 cm barrier and 4 to 5 meters of white cord (this will prevent the cord from falling into the monitoring well), uncover the well monitoring and submerging the barrier, drop it until it feels float, leave it for a minute, then remove it and drain it in a glass jar. Thus we can detect whether or not there is fuel. If there is, repeat the action until all the fuel is removed.

Report the result, indicating the time the sample was taken and start measuring every 30 minutes.

It is really a headache for managers to be able to keep these sites free of contamination and suitable for environmental measurements and controls; But we have found a way to do it in less than 15 minutes, without having to resort to emptying or entering, guaranteeing to remove all the fuel deposited in it, to achieve this we must perform the following steps:

- Cordon the site

- Remove the lid

- With a broom or brush, remove the tartar deposited on the walls of the grease trap (when it has not been washed for a long time, we recommend applying water under pressure, so that the glue on the walls and pipe is removed as well as we will be aerating the accumulated water so that the bad smell is removed).

- Remove solids with strainer.

- Tie the bag (fisherman) to the lid and throw it into the grease trap.

- Leave the bag for several minutes, to absorb the fuel.

- Remove the bag and squeeze the fuel.

- If you want to work more agile, add bulk adsorbent.

- Shake with the strainer and quickly remove the impregnated fuel and absorbent, which is deposited in the bin indicated for storage.

In the end all the fuel has been removed in a short time; This is a neutralization process, for which the fuel is separated from the water, Leaving the water suitable to be sent to the sewer system, complying with environmental regulations and, above all, we are sending water without fuels, the sludge can be dried outdoors and delivered to a service provider. When bioremediation process is done, it has been shown to be very long; but according to our process, by applying the water and the adsorbent, we have been able to speed up the decomposition of the plant material, since we removed the fuel.

Example-3 Procedure performed by the aquatic support group for spill care caused by the ship and water from the port.

Upon receiving the emergency attention call, the alarm is activated and turns on engines. The boat is moved from the parking site carrying floating barreras, which begin to be placed to cordon the ship with a distance of 150 meters in contour and the The purpose is to contain, confine and concentrate spilled hydrocarbon for collection, in order to take it to other areas or protect sensitive areas from the impact of fuel.

Adsorbent Application:

In order to prevent the fuel from thinning and spreading, killing everything in its path, the Now adsorbent is applied with the sprinkler, which is applied directly to the fuel stain; The fuel immediately adheres to the Now adsorbent forming pellets, which allow oxygen and light to pass through, floating and making one more barrier. Now impregnated adsorbent can float for a long time without general leaching.

To prevent and control the oil spill from outside the stain, the adsorbent begins to be applied, thus starting to collect the small traces of fuel and turning a natural barrier, which is inside the inflatable barrier. Then more adsorbent is continued on the ship and can encapsulate the hydrocarbon.

By placing a large amount of adsorbent and not finding hydrocarbons at 12 hours, it will be consumed without causing damage to the marine environment; but if it absorbed fuel it will remain floating for several hours.

Encapsulated hydrocarbon removal:

A sweeping barrier is used to bring the fuel-impregnated adsorbent to the boat, then with a strainer it is collected, the water is drained and then deposited in bins. Repeated action until all fuel is collected.

Internal Mobilization:

Once placed in chain hydrocarbon impregnated adsorbent, they are taken to the site where the Neutralization group or temporary storage area is located.

Cleaning of elements:

The barreras are squeezed, the elements, canecas, gloves, boots and igloos used and other elements impregnated with hydrocarbon are cleaned using clean bulk adsorbent.

The amount used is measured by measuring sacks, canecas and wedges.

A final shot is made indicating how the emergency is delivered, the photos will be attached to the final report. A delivery certificate is signed by those who worked, by captain, the director, environmental authority and the person in charge of the center (Copy) by the administrative part.

Work restoration.

Cleaning work is completed on the ship and around the ship the mitigation operation is considered completed.

Once an inspection has been carried out by the ship's captain, the authorities and environmental managers resume operations. Once the maritime support group is authorized, remove the boat, the barriers which are clean, dried and stored in a willing place.

The land support group delivers the waste to the Technical Neutralization Group, who will give a final technical disposal to the generated waste. HANDLING OF HYDROCARBON IMPREGATED WASTE

The Technical Neutralization group. receive the waste with an inventory sheet, verify the weight and is passed to the classification section. Where the recovery process recommended by the Adsorbent manufacturer is performed. Neutralization:

"Neutralization" process consists of separating the fuel from the water, the adsorbent, sludge and waste leaving to give a final disposal in accordance with environmental regulations and sending a water without fuels, the impregnated sludge can be dried outdoors and delivered to a service provider. The equipment used to perform the neutralization are:

Blade Agitator

Horizontal washing machine

Centrifuge with a capacity of 12 to 20 pounds, with revolutions of 1350RPM. Distillation tower.

The neutralization process consists of: once the leak or spill is controlled, the equipment and elements impregnated with hydrocarbons are cleaned, the waste will be neutralized, sectioned and delivered to give the final environmental disposal at the same generation site, mitigating the negative impact that generate these emergencies, as follows: • The recovered oils or fuels will be delivered to the owner:

Once the hydrocarbon has been collected in soil or water, the hydrocarbons are recovered by a means of mechanical separation; operation performed at the incident site, where the centrifuge machine or manual press is loaded; he

Claims

1- Spill care process to preserve the environment characterized by comprising

A-Identify the source of the leak and the size of the spill:

Determine how far the stain has come to contain it, confining the area impregnated with adsorbent dikes, preventing it from spreading, reaching sewers, surrounding soils or coming into contact with water or other liquid or body.

B-Suspend activities in the area, stop or suppress the outflow of fuel.

C- cordon the stain area.

D- Surround the spill area with the demarcation tape to indicate the danger.

E- Once the stain is cordoned off with the barriers or bulk material used, we proceed with the pad to suck or absorb the fuel; when the pad has covered its ability to drain into a bucket or caneca.

F- Press the pad repeatedly on the stain.

H- Spread the biodegradable adsorbent product, which is obtained from urban solid waste, such as recycled fibrous vegetables, consisting of paper, textiles and plant residues, on the wet part; by means of a sprinkler and let adsorb for a moment.

I- Collect the adsorbent impregnated with the plastic tools intended for collection. Or with a vacuum with ejector principle and deposit in the appropriate containers.

J- The impregnated adsorbent must be collected in a bag for hazardous waste and not mixed with any other waste.

k- Sorting bags with impregnated ones must be packed in sorting containers and / or stored in suitable places to avoid contact with water and other elements or waste. L- Squeeze the barriers and pads impregnated in a container and then be stored in appropriate places.

M- After squeezing the impregnated barrier, it is packed in the sorting bag to prevent it from coming into contact with other waste.

N- Store the recovered hydrocarbons independently, away from sources of ignition and protected from water and possible leaks or spills. O-With adsorbent clean tools, other surfaces and body parts impregnated. 2- Spill care process according to claim N ^to 1 characterized in that the adsorbent impregnated for final disposal can be reused for which it is deposited in water and left for several minutes so that the decantation process separates the waste collected, once washed should be immersed in descaling (when it has collected thick hydrocarbons such as crude, valvulins, fats etc.) pass it through a centrifuge at 1350 rpm for 5 minutes.

3- Spill care process according to claim N ^to 1 characterized in that the impregnated adsorbent can be used in bioremediation processes.

4- Spill care process according to claim N ^to 1 characterized in that the adsorbent impregnated once re-implemented can be used as raw material in the manufacture of new products such as briquettes, absorbent cloths, packaging material and in the process of obtaining the same adsorbent.

5- Use of the adsorbent product obtained from urban solid wastes, such as recycled fibrous vegetables, consisting of paper, textiles and vegetable waste, in the process of recovering crude oil spills for decontamination of water or soil.