A novel polyurethane-based sorbent material for oil spills management

The performances of FoamFlex200 (TEST-1 SB S.r.l.), an innovative material based on flexible polyurethane foam, have been tested through laboratory and tank tests for the purpose of oil removal in case of oil spill and water treatment. The possibility of reusing this material after regeneration via manual squeezing or by means of a suitable equipment was also evaluated. By way of comparison, the same experimental tests were conducted using polypropylene (PP) flakes, the material currently most used to cope with spill accidents. To better understand the hydrophobic oleophilic properties of the new material, and its application performance, it was tested with oils having different chemical and physical properties, in particular kerosene, diesel, and crude oil. From the laboratory tests, the capacity of FoamFlex200 to retain oil was found to be directly proportional to the viscosity of the latter. Sorption values detected range from 23.2 ± 1.4 g/g for crude oil and 18.8 ± 1.2 g/g for diesel to 8.8 ± 0.6 g/g for kerosene, confirming the potential of the innovative material compared to the PP. Cyclical use/regeneration tests were also performed, showing a high reusability of the material (up to 200 times according to the manufacturer's declaration), with only a slight sorbent capacity decrease in cycles after the first one. Finally, some considerations based on the sorption capacities found were drawn, suggesting the adoption of the new material as also economically preferable, with relevant savings per kg of hydrocarbon treated ranging from 20% to 40% up to a maximum of 94% in the limit of 200 uses. In addition to these savings, the possibility of recovering sorbed oils represents another important advantage, both in economic and environmental terms.