USE OF PRE-COOKED AND PUFFED CEREALS AS OIL SPILL SORBENTS

摘要

Oil is removed from the surface of water by contacting the oil with a non-toxic, biodegradable oilabsorbing material selected from the group consisting of precooked cereal kernels and puffed cereals, in an amount sufficient to cause agglomeration of the oil-loaded material and formation of a buoyant semi-solid mass, and removing the buoyant semisolid mass from the surface of the water. The method according to the invention is particularly useful for collecting and removing oil accidently discharged into open waters by oil tanker ships and enables substantially total recovery of the oil spills.