A new Purdue process uses activated charcoal foam and subjects it to solar light to produce heat and purify produced water.
About 2.5 billion gallons of produced water, a byproduct from the oil refinery and extraction process, is generated each day in the United States.
Handling that water is a major challenge in the oil refinery industry, particularly because it is deemed unusable for household and commercial use by the Environmental Protection Agency because of remaining contaminants. Several commercial treatments are available, but they are expensive, do not remove all traces of contaminants from water and can be energy-intensive.
Now, Purdue University researchers have developed a process to remove nearly all traces of oil in produced water. The process uses activated charcoal foam and subjects it to solar light to produce heat and purify the water. The foam absorbs the oil contaminants from the water.
The Purdue process was presented during the annual conference for the Produced Water Society in February.
“This is a simple, clean and inexpensive treatment process,” said Ashreet Mishra, a graduate research assistant at the Purdue University Northwest Water Institute. “I have seen in my home country of India how people suffer for the want of pure water, and we, as researchers, need to do as much as we can to help.”
The Purdue team’s process also meets all EPA standards for clean water from industrial sources and had a total organic carbon of 7.5 milligrams per liter. Mishra said another advantage is that the oil absorbed by the foam can be recovered efficiently. The Purdue researchers were able to recover up to 95 percent of the oil that was absorbed.
“This is the first-of-its kind method to do this purification in a single step simultaneously via a perforated foam,” Mishra said. “Our process is able to address the cost and energy aspects of the problem.”
Mishra said the Purdue process could be integrated with existing disposal systems to purify a large amount of water and reduce the current stress on water grids.
Learn more: What oil leaves behind in 2.5 billion gallons of water every day in U.S.
The Latest on: Removing oil from water
via Google News
The Latest on: Removing oil from water
- U.N. turns to crowdfunding to salvage decaying oil tanker off Yemenon June 17, 2022 at 2:29 am
After years of trying to get the warring parties to agree to a plan to salvage the massive tanker, the U.N. now doesn't have the funds to implement it.
- Best facial toners for summer help tighten pores, remove oil and light up faceon June 17, 2022 at 12:49 am
A common problem in summers is opening up of skin pores, which then leads to issues such as acne and blackheads. A simple yet effective way to deal with it is to invest in a good facial toner.
- Over 2,300 Amazon shoppers rave about this oil cleanser for removing makeup and unclogging pores — and it’s on saleon June 16, 2022 at 11:39 am
"This cleanser seems to clean out my pores like nothing else." The post Over 2,300 Amazon shoppers rave about this oil cleanser for removing makeup and unclogging pores — and it’s on sale appeared ...
- This trick to removing grease stains is also the simpleston June 16, 2022 at 8:02 am
Then rinse it out with warm water. Machine-wash the garment on the hottest cycle ... These will help prevent an oil stain from setting into the fabric, making it easier to lift when you're doing ...
- Restore your space’s beauty by removing stains and dirt with the best pressure washerson June 16, 2022 at 7:40 am
Want to restore your exterior space? Get one of the premium pressure washers for 2022 to make surfaces spotless by removing dirt, grime and stubborn stains.
- Juvenile swan saved from potentially deadly cooking oil at Grand Strand family campsiteon June 15, 2022 at 10:19 am
A young swan covered in cooking oil at a Myrtle Beach campsite was rescued by staff and volunteers Tuesday morning.
- A Nail Tech Explains How To Safely Remove Acrylics With Acetone & Hot Wateron June 7, 2022 at 10:37 am
A nail professional explains how to take off acrylics with hot water at home, plus alternative ways to take fake nails off.
- Stain Removalon June 1, 2022 at 9:14 pm
Water-based stains, including most food stains, are acidic and will require an acid mixture to remove them. Oil type stains will need non-aqueous or "dry" chemicals (hence the term "dry-cleaning") in ...
- How to Remove Almost Every Type of Stainon May 16, 2022 at 5:00 pm
Once water-based paint is dry ... hydrogen peroxide works best on white fabrics. To remove grease and oil, Tran recommends gently mixing three parts hydrogen peroxide with one part dishwashing ...
- How to Remove Water Stains From Woodon November 4, 2021 at 3:33 pm
Mayonnaise can work well to remove an old white stain on wood. When you apply mayonnaise over the water stain, and allow it to sit on the spot for a few hours, the oil in the mayonnaise will help ...
via Bing News