Oil spill cleaning up by polymeric sorbents using salt leaching method

People all throughout the world have been concerned about oil spills not only does it harm the environment, but it also harms human health and aquatic animal life. Salt leaching method adopted to prepare polymeric sorbents from PMMA, PS, and their blend using Dimethylformamide (DMF) solvent according to Hildebrand solubility parameter approach. Three tests categories were carried out, which related to the polymeric sorbents, water and kerosene properties. Hildebrand solubility parameter utilized to select the suitable solvent, and results proved that DMF solvent can be used for both PMMA and PS polymers. FTIR results showed the characteristics bands for either PMMA or PS, as well as showed no chemical reaction between them when blending. Density results showed low blend density compared with densities of the initial polymers indicating to the phase separation within the blend network, which enhances the floatability and the sorption capacity. The sorption capacities of PMMA are 5g/g for water and 10.89 g/g for kerosene after eight days, whereas these capacities were 3 g/g and 4.266 g/g for PS respectively. Kerosene thickness results proved that, as kerosene thicknesses increased, the sorption capacity increased. Selectivity results showed that, the absorbance and the selectivity of PMMA is higher than those of PS. And the maximum selectivity occurs after 3-4 days. According to the changing of properties of both water and kerosene, the separation efficiency is not 100% and there is some overlapping between their molecules.