The research on the sorption properties of the X-ray amorphous silica foam

Abstract

Abstract The paper is concerned with the solution to environmental problems related to the gathering of oil and oil products from the surfaces of water bodies using the highly-porous inorganic sorbents. In the paper, the technological solutions are presented and primary results aimed at the development of new sorption materials are discussed. To develop the technologies of preparing the sorbents of oil and oil products, the properties of the granulated foam-silicate material obtained during the treatment process of technogenic raw material were investigated. A method of modifying the granulated foam silicate in the gas-vapor phase of hydrocarbons having the undoubted superiority (possibility to work out the finely-dispersed materials with the use of a wide range of modifiers) was developed. The technological scheme of the thermo-chemical modifying the foam silicates surface was presented and the operating parameters of the modification process were experimentally verified. The temperature interval of the foam-silicate porous structure and its X-ray amorphous state stability was determined. The hydrophobic properties of the modified foam-silicate are confirmed by the testing of material for moisture capacity. Determination of oil capacity characteristics suggests the high oil-receptivity and sorption capacity concerning oil products. The comparative evaluation of new oleophilic hydrophobic material regarding other sorbents confirms the possibility of using the modified granulated foam-silicate obtained from waste products of the mica-schist ore as the basis for the preparation of new sorbents for cleaning of contaminated waters from organic substances including oil products.