Abstract

An apparatus and method is disclosed for containment and recovery of water-insoluble liquids, e.g., oil, floating on water. The apparatus and method involves using a fibrous material coated or saturated with a composition which will absorb substantial quantities of the water-insoluble organic liquid (oil) while substantially repelling the water in which the water-insoluble organic liquid is floating. The fibrous material may be a fabric, a paper, a sponge, a sheet or a film and is coated or impregnated with an oleophylic, hydrophobic composition. Such materials as cotton, jute, hemp, wool, Rayon, Dacron, paper, polyester, and polyurethane, in various forms and combinations may be used. The composition is preferably an oil-in-water coating composition comprising an oil soluble resin or drying oil with an aqueous discontinuous phase dispersed therein, the discontinuous phase comprising an emulsion of a water insoluble resin, which coating composition passes or absorbs the water-insoluble liquid but repels water. The fibrous material impregnated or coated with an oleophylic, hydrophobic composition is passed into contact with the water-insoluble liquid (e.g. oil) whereupon the oil is absorbed and the water rejected. The oil-saturated material is recovered and the oil recovered therefrom and the fibrous material reused; reimpregnating the material with the oleophylic, hydrophobic composition, if necessary. The treated materials may also be used in industrial applications wherein the material to be absorbed does not float on water.