Statement of the Problem
Statement of the Problem
We are currently faced with a catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. For the last several months, at least 40,000 barrels of crude oil per day have bled into the Gulf from an uncontrollable BP oil rig. Scientists at LSU have documented the presence of large underwater pockets of oil, one measuring 12 miles long, 5 miles wide and over 300 feet thick. Gulf oil is now tracking into major current channels and headed for the Florida Keys, the eastern Atlantic Coast and the Atlantic Ocean. All attempts to cap the oil well have failed to date without exception. Oil has washed ashore in all coastal states surrounding the Gulf, and Louisiana has been hit the hardest to date.
There have already been devastating effects on the Gulf’s marine life, the ocean bottom, and now the shores and coastlines of the United States, Mexico and other territories surrounding the Gulf. Aside from the environmental devastation, there has already been a devastating economic impact on the industries of the Gulf including commercial fishing, sea transport, the tourist industry, and all shoreline based economies. Without immediate clean up, the devastation from this oil spill will impact the Gulf of Mexico for decades to come1.
To date, efforts by the parties responsible for cleanup of the oil spill have focused primarily on capping the well and not on dealing with the spill itself. These companies have also started to shift the blame to each other. One solution proposed originally was to add polymers to the floating oil, have it sink to the bottom, supposedly out of sight, and vacuum it up later. The problem with this approach is it is upwards of a mile down to the ocean making vacuuming nearly impossible. Plus, the sea life will be floor irrevocably harmed by the oil, and vacuum operations would destroy the ecosystem for centuries to come. This approach would do little to afford protection to our shorelines and in due time oil will appear on all the beaches surrounding the Gulf further affecting the environment and its fauna and flora. The approach BP is currently using is to disperse the oil. A month after the spill, the EPA approved the use of oil dispersants in the Gulf2. To date massive amounts of COREXIT have been dumped on and below the surface to disperse the oil from the spill3. COREXIT is highly toxic and only 55 to 85% effective depending upon the type of crud45e4,5.
The use of dispersants has met with disastrous results, and its use is expected to continue until the well is capped. Jean Michel Cousteau, Jacque Cousteau’s son, has recently sent dive teams into the Gulf and has concluded that the approach is wrong and is creating a bigger problem6 .His observations were as follows: dispersant treated oil globules of varying size are found everywhere in the water column and at all depths; the crude oil treated with dispersants no longer floats on the surface but is submerged just below the surface; the treated globules are extremely sticky and most difficult to pick up; and worst of all, fish and wildlife recognize the treated globules as food. The entire ocean food chain is becoming contaminated7.
There are dozens of other currently proposed methodologies such as addition of hay, human hair, vegetable matter, shredded tire rubber, pulverized plastics, chemical polymers, or the like. These do not properly address the problem; are not environmentally friendly, or cannot deal with the magnitude and scope of the problem. Most proposed remedies create problems unto themselves and cannot rightfully deal with mega-disasters of this scope.
Another issue is the ongoing controversy as to what type of crude oil is actually leaking from BP’s wellhead into the Gulf. It is generally believed that it is light, sweet crude relatively high in alkanes and other petroleum distillates like diesel8. Other reports, however, most notably by Professor Edward Overton of LSU, who is analyzing the oil for NOAA, note that the oil collected has an extremely high asphaltene content suggesting a heavier crude9. The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that the crude oil has been subjected to several months of wave action, high Gulf temperatures, and on-shore winds. Such environmental factors drive off alkanes and other petroleum distillates into the atmosphere making the crude oil appear heavier over time10.
This has resulted in a health hazard as malodors are affecting the quality of life for residents of the Gulf11,12. In addition, spilled Gulf crude oil continues to bind with zoo- and phytoplankton and other organic matter which putrefies over time giving rise to another source of malodors13. The oil washing up onto the coastline has an offensive odor not only attributable to oil but to putrefaction as well. This further compounds both the problem and the cleanup.
Another issue associated with the oil spill is the release of heavy metals including, but not limited to, mercury14,15, lead16,17, chromium18 and arsenic19, from crude oil. The sheer magnitude of the spill means that these heavy metal toxin contaminants will be in the environment contaminating fish and other wildlife. Toxic heavy metals do not degrade over time or go away. They remain present in the environment in some form ad infinitum (for eternity). A timely solution that averts the devastation and does not harm the environment is needed NOW. The whole world is watching the United States and how it deals with this environmental catastrophe. Just as the catastrophe at Valdez was handled slowly and improperly, and just as the post hurricane crisis of Katrina was handled the same, with this particular catastrophe in the Gulf, the responsible parties not only those involved with clean up but also those within the state and federal government will be watched carefully and held accountable.
Now is the time for a broader solution encompassing the major problems at hand. Now is the time for a unique technological approach. A near total solution that will deal with all the various forms of crude oil seen in the Gulf; a solution that deals with the malodor issue; a solution that works on the beaches to prevent daily deposition of oil into the sand; a solution that will deal with the longer lasting issue, namely the release of toxic heavy metals like mercury, lead, arsenic, and chromium from the crude oil into the environment. But most important of all, a broader solution is needed that is environmentally friendly for centuries to come; a solution that will not harm but improve the environment – a solution that allows us to reclaim the sea, and reclaim the oil as well.
Now is the time for action. Now is the time for the dawn of:
a new era in environmental restoration.
Situational Analysis
A situational analysis of the mega-disaster indicates that a total solution to this problem must comprise the following key elements in order to be effective. All are important and the listing below is not ranked.
- Buoyancy. The material used must remain perpetually buoyant and not sink over time either before or after contact with oil. It is preferable that the material, once broadcast, does not disperse continually on the surface diminishing its capacity and capability to seek and bind oil. The material, through its water repellant properties, should coalesce together on the surface of the water into a recognizable mass of color different than the water, not only so that it could be recognized and retrieved, but also so that it can be positioned and deployed “as a coalesced floatable mass” by targeted movement means to the oil. If the material is subjected to excessive wave action, it should remain coalesced, or if it were to dissociate, it would re-coalesce spontaneously.
- Agglomeration and or Solidification. Once in contact with oil, either by broadcasting directly onto the oil surface, or by targeting positioning “as a coalesced floatable mass” directly next to oil, or by subsurface distribution. It is preferable that the material allows the oil to agglomerate unto itself in the presence of the material so as to form agglomerated clumps or a solid mass making harvesting easier. The type of agglomeration and or solidification may vary depending upon the type of crude, the process used, or the limitations of the environment. The material must handle all forms of crude oil (as seen over time in the Gulf), or all types of crude oil depending upon the spill site.
- Non Dissolving and Non Leachable. A further requirement is that the materials not dissolve in sea water or have the toxic effects of current EPA approved solidifiers. The material once added, must remain buoyant, unlike some current EPA approved sorbents which sink. It is also preferable that the material not readily leach large amounts of oil back into the environment before harvesting.
- Immediate Response. This crisis warrants an immediate response. The implementation of a cleanup must start immediately with large quantities of readily available materials and equipment. It is imperative not to wait for a chemical to be manufactured or material to be sourced. Remediation must occur immediately by a company with inherent cleanup capabilities, equipment, and experience.
- Environmentally Friendly. The materials and method to be used for the oil spill cleanup must be environmentally friendly in that they are not harmful to marine life, are not dissolvable in seawater, are not dispersible in seawater so as not to mask the problem or not be recognizable for harvest and clean up, are not organic as to serve as a food source, do not increase the temperature in the Gulf, and are not attractive to animal or fish species.
- Non polluting. Any materials used for clean up must be non-polluting. This rules out any chemical or organic formulations that can have long term impacts on the environment. This also means that any treatment has to be fully capable of long term retention of all of the oil so that the oil or the components of the oil do not leach back into the environment.
- Non Toxic. The material used must be totally non toxic for all marine and plant life. This also includes all microscopic plankton and microbial species. As such this means that the materials added must be comprised of materials that can remain in the Gulf for centuries and not be subject to degradation by the elements including salt, sunlight, heat or time. By necessity this warrants that the materials used must be derived from inorganic sources, from the abundance of earth’s natural resources, and be ocean compatible.
- GRAS. All materials used for the oil spill cleanup must be Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS). This means that chemists, physicists, and environmentalists at all levels of science and government all currently agree, without exception, that the materials used to clean up the oil spill are generally regarded as safe and are currently classified as such.
- Suited for the Need. All materials used for the cleanup must work effectively in the ocean environment in that their effectiveness is not affected by ocean waves, ocean currents, or other disruptive means. To be effective for handling the oil spill, by necessity the materials to be used must:
- be fully floatable and buoyant (as noted above)
- be both oleophilic (oil attracting) and hydrophobic (water repellant)at the same time
- not sink over time like most sorbents, whether in contact with oil or not
- be rapidly and readily dispersible in crude oil floating on the surface, oil submerged just below the surface, deeply submerged oil, oil on the shoreline, oil on physical or biological structures, oil on beaches, oil layers buried under tidal sand, oil dispersed in the water (either due to well pressure or use of dispersants)
- be capable of attracting all the oil into an agglomerated or non spreadable floatable mass that does not disrupt with ocean wave activity (as noted above)
- preferably agglomerates or solidifies the oil but does not transitionit into a new substance such that the new substance creates disposal problems or such that the oil cannot be reclaimed or the material recycled or disposed of
- prevents continual spreading of the oil on the surface of the sea and has the exact opposite effect, namely to coalesce and agglomerate oil unto itself
- reduces the need for containment booms
- renders the oil non sticky so that it does not adhere to booms, coastal structures, plant material or wildlife once treated
- be used to remove oil from structures, plant material, or wildlife
- maintains the current weight (mass) of the oil or lightens it for effective handling. Does not add significant weight
- once formed, not leach the oil into the environment when harvested (as noted above)
- not support degradation or separation of the oil into its components while contained within the floating mass i.e., not release alkanes, or petroleum distillates except to the atmosphere
- not adhere to booms, boats, or barges after formation of the mass, yet if contained within a boom before addition, allows the release of the floatable boom from the formed mass
- be that the materials comprising the formulation are readily adjustable and controllable to allow modification of the formed mass for pliability, hardness, and harvest ability; in other words the material lends itself to both application and process adaptability
- be that the formed masses, if washed upon the shoreline, also do not harm the shoreline, or adhere in any way to rocks, beach sand, or the fauna or flora
- be that the floatable masses can be readily recovered by various means utilizing ocean going vessels or shoreline means
- be that the crude oil can be released from the stabilizing factors for reclamation purposes
- be that the harvested floatable material may be used as an alternative fuel source itself to stimulate the economy
- and that the material additives may be readily recycled for reuse for the same purpose or can be allowed to be dumped into the environment without harm, either on land or in the sea
- Recoverable. That the materials added to the cleanup spill are readily recoverable on the surface of the ocean or on land if washed up on the shoreline
- Green. In order to be truly “green” a material must be of the earth in its natural state or recyclable back to the earth not affecting its natural state. It is preferable to not require the breakdown of the material to return to its natural state
- Recyclable. Recyclable has numerous meanings applicable to both the material being added to the oil spill and to the crude oil itself. The ideal resolution to the problem would involve the ability to recycle both the added material and the crude oil in terms of: recovery of the complexed material and reclamation of the raw components, both followed by recycling
- Sustainable. In order for a material to be sustainable, it must be available on a continuous basis for generations to come. Although this term usually applies to organic based materials, it is also applicable to inorganic materials as well. For an inorganic (non living) material, originally derived from the earth, to be sustainable it must upon return to the earth through recycling contribute back to it in an unaltered form to the total mass of inorganic material existing on the earth prior to its use. A sustainable inorganic material would fulfill those requirements and would not be destroyed, altered, or modified by its use. It would simply return to its original state and function in the biosphere.
Sea ReClaim™ Product
We call our product “Sea ReClaim™” to speak to its function, composition and mode of action. Sea ReClaim™ is a floatable oil binding material for immediate and effective reclamation of oil spills. It works with all types of crude which is dependent upon the process used. Sea ReClaim™ uses nature’s nanotechnology to reclaim the oil and reclaim the sea. The power of natural nanotechnology comes not from the chemistry but from the high surface areas and the natural physical properties of the mined materials themselves. Sea ReClaim™ is composed of natural and modified natural scoriaceous material found naturally in the earth which is currently obtained by mining and metallurgy.
Sea ReClaim™ is a sorbent material and consists solely of the materials listed in § 300.915(g)(1) of the NCP. But it exhibits some of the properties of solidifiers with one distinct difference: it does not transform the oil chemically into a new substance but uses natural physical properties instead to agglomerate the oil into a semi solid mass that can be readily harvested. There is another unique difference. The physical process used for agglomeration and solidification can be reversed by high heat, and the oil can be reclaimed and the raw materials recycled or disposed. Hence Sea ReClaim™ has the benefits of sorbents with some of the properties of solidifiers without the toxic and disposal issues. Sea ReClaim™ is enviro-friendly.
Sea ReClaim™ is also formulated to achieve three things as the means to providing a total solution to crude oil spills: (a) reclaim the oil; (b) naturally eliminate malodors found in crude oil; and (c) permanently and irreversibly bind toxic heavy metals found in both the crude oil and transferred by crude into the sea.
The reaction time for the agglomeration of sweet crude to a semi rigid cake is approximately 10 minutes. Sea ReClaim™ works best in an agitated environment as realized in open seawater. The procedure used for dispersing the material and recovery will depend upon the type of crude oil. Perpetually hydrophobic in nature, Sea ReClaim™ not only floats on the surface of the water but also adheres immediately to any floating petroleum based product and builds a solid mass without the detrimental attributes associated with crude oil. Its incorporation into the contaminant stream results in a floatable, recoverable, recyclable sub product of its original polluting form. All ingredients incorporated into our premier formula are derived from earth’s inorganic resources and are Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) materials 100% safe to humans, the environment and marine fauna and flora.
Our Technology
“Use of Nature’s Nanotechnology”
Sea ReClaim™ is composed of an admixture of natural and modified- natural scoriaceous material derived from the earth. Sea ReClaim™ is derived from earth’s natural scoriaceous material which is both highly porosive and buoyant. Although not used in Sea ReClaim™, the most universally known scoriaceous material is lava which is a form of scoria from a geological perspective. Scoria is produced by heat and/or pressure over time. Another well known example of scoria from metallurgy is dross.
Scoriae are natural materials derived from earth’s rock, sand, dirt and dust. Scoriaceous material can be macroporous to mesoporous in porosiveness (porosity).Macroporous materials are large granular porosive material that can vary in particle diameter and/or mesh size. Sea ReClaim™ uses macoporous scoria of 0.5–2 mm diameter. Microporous material generally has pore sizes > 50 nm. Mesoporous materials have pore sizes from 2 to 50 nm. Both microporous and mesoporous structures are considered nature’s natural nanotechnology. Sea ReClaim™ uses both microporous and mesoporous natural nanomaterials derived from the earth. Some natural scoriaceous material is modified by Sea ReClaim™ scientists for specific properties necessary for immediate and effective oil spill reclamation. The natural nanomaterials in Sea ReClaim™, since they are derived from the earth, are environmentally friendly when returned to the earth.
One would ask, Why use nature’s nanotechnology? The reason is simple. Found naturally in the earth itself, these nanomaterials afford the means to deal with the oil spill with some very distinct advantages. Natural nanomaterial benefits derive from their small physical size (nano = 0.000000001 meters= 1 nm), which translates directly into an extremely large surface area. As will be explained later, 5 gm of natural nanomaterial as used in Sea Reclaim™ has the surface area of 10 football fields. This allows a small amount of material to have a significant action on oil, an advantage never seen with conventional sorbents or solidifiers. By way of comparison, activated carbon, another scoriaceous material with pores (not useful with oil spills) has a surface area of only 1 football field per 5 gm.
Another unique advantage to some of nature’s nanomaterials is their unique ability to spontaneously aggregate together upon contact with oil. Nature’s nanomaterials as used in Sea ReClaim™ come unassembled like a jigsaw puzzle. After contact with oil, the nanomaterials spontaneously self assemble into a solid 3-D network, inter allia, a solid mass. This very unique property allows the sorbent Sea ReClaim™ to have physical properties only formerly attributable to chemical solidifiers. Chemical solidifiers are not natural and chemically convert the oil into a new material. Solidifiers are toxic to the environment. Why use a toxic man-made chemical when one can use a natural physical process; the very process that allows scoriaceous material to be formed naturally in the earth in the first place? Natural is always eco-friendly.
Three Unique Functions
Oil Reclamation * Malodor Elimination * Toxic Heavy Metal Removal
Sea ReClaim™ uses buoyant materials that are either naturally highly porosive, or modified nanoparticulate material that has been rendered hydrophobic and buoyant. All materials are derived from scoria except for one man-made ceramic material.
There are six oil binding components in Sea ReClaim™.
One of the main components is naturally mined scoria that is inherently buoyant due to its high porosiveness. This material is highly oleophilic (oil-binding) and hydrophobic (water-repellant) at the same time. It ranges from macroporous to mesoporous in natural nanostructure.
The next three (3) components in Sea ReClaim™ are also modified natural scoria mined from rock that is made to be hydrophobic rendering it perpetually buoyant. When added to water, Sea ReClaim™ is self coalescing and buoyant unlike some other sorbents that either sink or spread over the surface in a layer too thin to be effective or controllable. These three natural materials contain unassembled non-porous nanoparticulate subassemblies with a hydrocarbon-like surface that are naturally physically attracted to oil as “like seeks like”. This material increases crude oil viscosity upon contact and aids in immediate aggregation of the crude oil into an aggregated solidified mass. Hence, Sea ReClaim™ has the benefits of a sorbent with the properties of a solidifier. There is no chemical transformation of the oil into a new (non- oil) substance with Sea ReClaim™ as seen with solidifiers. It’s purely a physical attraction as one loves to bind to the other and tighten up.
The fifth component in Sea ReClaim™ is another modified natural scoria which has an extremely strong affinity for the hydrogen atom found on hydrocarbons in that it cross links them. This aids directly in stabilizing the solid mass again through a natural physical process reversible by heat for reclamation of the oil.
The last component in Sea ReClaim™ is a man-made microporous hollow sphere which is comprised of a nano-cage structure that is selective for binding toxic heavy metals that are found in crude oil and which get absorbed into the sea. Toxic heavy metal binding within the nano-cage is permanent and irreversible hence removing the toxic heavy metals from the environment.
“The Benefits of Sorbents, the Properties of Solidifiers”
Although Sea ReClaim™ is comprised of sorbents, its functionality is a lot like that of solidifiers. Solidifiers are EPA approved chemicals comprising hydrocarbon-like polymers and surfactants which chemically transform oil into a new non-oil substance which must in itself be disposed of or have another use found for it.
Sea ReClaim™ sorbents behave like solidifiers in that they form a soil-mass. They do so physically by natural means, not chemically. The resultant Oil Kake is different from solidifiers in that the oil is agglomerated and solidified but it is not transformed into a new substance. The oil is actually recoverable from the Sea ReClaim™ sorbent after harvesting through heating.
Sea ReClaim™ achieves solidification through the integration of 4 natural mechanisims of action: (1) absorption and (2) adsorption (usually limited to sorbents); (3) solidification by physical attraction between non-polar, hydrocarbon-like nanoconstructs and the hydrocarbons in crude oil enhanced by van-der-Waals forces; (4)as well as by natural hydrogen bonding of hydrocarbons by amorphous unassembled microparticulate nanostructures through a natural process of spontaneous self assembly upon contact directly with crude oil. This interaction results in a stabilized three dimensional cross-linked lattice e.g., the solid mass or Oil Kake.
This naturally occurring process is known as mixed clathrate formation. It is seen in nature most notably with methane snow found on the ocean floor. The hydrogen bonds involved in this natural reaction are the bonds that hold DNA strands together. Hydrogen bonds differ from covalent bonding in that hydrogen bonding is strong yet reversible with heat or enzymes. Hence, oil can be reclaimed from Sea ReClaim™ which gives the product the benefits of a sorbent, but with the properties of a solidifier with an added advantage of oil reclamation.
Sea ReClaim™ has two additional features differentiating it from all other sorbents and solidifiers on the market. One of the modified natural nano materials in Sea ReClaim™ derived from scoria is extremely effective at malodor elimination. Sea ReClaim uses the patent pending proprietary technology of Nanosorb Technologies, LLC20, a private San Diego company founded and owned by the inventor of Sea ReClaim™. Oil from oil spills is notorious for binding with organic matter readily found in the ocean, which putrefies over time yielding malodors.
The final unique feature of Sea ReClaim™ is the permanent removal of toxic heavy metals found naturally in crude oil. These include lead, mercury, arsenic and chromium among others. These toxic heavy metals, which are also the basis of fossil fuel smokestack emissions, are found in crude oil. Toxic heavy metals in crude oil readily contaminate the seawater and they out-survive the oil spill in the ocean for millennia to come because they are elemental in composition in that they cannot be broken down any further.
Toxic heavy metals readily contaminate plant, fish, and wildlife in the environment and are poisonous for humans as well. The half life for mercury in human tissue as example is 37.5 years, so the only way to not be poisoned by the toxin is to avoid exposure in the first place. Mercury is currently found in all species of fish as a toxic contaminant. Sea ReClaim™ uses a man-made ceramic nanoconstruct in the form of a nano-cage with high internal loading capacity to selectively bind toxic heavy metals and will do so both in oil and in water with extremely high efficiency. Eco Renascence, LLC utilizes the proprietary technology of Nanosil Technologies, LLC, another private San Diego company founded and owned by the inventor of Sea ReClaim™.
Sea ReClaim™ in Action
Sea ReClaim™ utilizes naturally buoyant inorganic nanomaterials derived from earth’s scoriae for oil binding which aids in the immediate and effective treatment of oil spills for reclamation purposes. Sea ReClaim™ is perpetually buoyant and works with all types of crude oil or oil products in any environment. This includes aqueous spills, leaking underground storage systems, and in contaminated soil. The process and equipment used will depend upon the spill and the location.
To follow are a variety of pictures, figures and tables showing the properties of Sea ReClaim™ and its effectiveness for oil binding, malodor elimination, and toxic heavy metal removal. Sea ReClaim’s™ technical properties, features, benefits, and performance are captured in a series of Technical Bulletins not shown here. Sea ReClaim’s™ mechanism of action is proprietary and patent pending. Each section below is self explanatory.
Sea ReClaim’s™ Perpetual Buoyancy
Sea ReClaim™ floating on seawater (3 beakers on left) and seawater alone without Sea ReClaim™ (beaker on right)
Sea ReClaim’s™ Penetration of Crude Oil
Over Several Minutes
One minute after addition of Sea ReClaim™ ™ (number 60 grade refined oil on seawater on the left, as control; crude oil on seawater on the right, as test)
Note penetration of crude oil in beaker on right.
Two minutes after addition of Sea ReClaim™ to oil on seawater
Three minutes after addition of Sea ReClaim™ to oil on seawater
Four minutes after addition of Sea ReClaim™ to crude oil on seawater. Note complete penetration of crude oil on right. Refined oil achieved penetration by 90 min (not shown).
Sea ReClaim’s™ Oil Kake Formation
Formed Oil Kake in beaker on seawater
Formed Oil Kake transferred to pan of seawater from beaker. Note flotation on surface and retention of shape
Sea ReClaim™ Treatment of Oil Encrusted Reed
Crude oil coated reed from Gulf
Treating oil coated reed with Sea ReClaim™ to remove oil
Reed after treatment with Sea ReClaim™ with oil removed
Sea ReClaim™Treatment of Malodors*
Putrefaction By-Product
Treatment of 3 Day Old Putrefied Fish with Natural Nanocomposites Used in Sea ReClaim™
*Rotted fish carcass held at 98.6 degrees F for 3 days before treatment started. This represented putrefied starting material on Day Zero which was then treated, or not treated.
** Blend of proprietary primary and secondary natural nanocomposites (90%/10% Ratio) used for malodor elimination
Sea Reclaim Removal of Toxic Heavy Metals from Seawater
Toxic Lead Removal
Removal of lead from water over time using Sea ReClaim™
Toxic Mercury Removal
Removal of mercury from water over time using Sea ReClaim™
Unique Features of the Sea ReClaim™ Product
The following is a list of unique features for the Sea ReClaim™ Product relative to other oil treatment methods.
- Does not sink like other sorbents
- Oil can be re-released after absorption unlike other sorbents or solidifiers
- Can be used on the oil’s surface, unlike some other sorbents
- Perpetually buoyant both before and after contact with oil
- Does not disperse on the surface continually unlike some other sorbents;
- Coalesces unto itself
- Uses absorption, adsorption, and two solidification processes
- Both oleophilic (oil attracting) and hydrophobic (water repellent) unlike some other sorbents
- Actually prefers oil and seeks it out
- Solidification involves both hydrocarbon physical attraction enhanced by van-der-
- Waal’s forces, and hydrogen bonding through mixed clathrate formation
- Works with all types of crude oil depending upon he process used
- Applicable to floating surface oil; oil floating right below the surface; submerged
- oil deep below the surface; floating oil in coastal contact; oil washed up on the shoreline; removal of oil attached to surfaces
- Works with oil with or without prior use of oil dispersant material
The Eco Renascence Vision and Plan for the Gulf
Eco Renascence, LLC, the company that invented and developed Sea ReClaim™, is in the process of partnering with several strategic partners in the oil spill recovery sector who are capable of handling the mega-disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. In the interest of time, Eco Renascence will not build its own infrastructure but will utilize the resources and power of existing companies to clean up the spill, put people back to work, create new jobs, and stimulate the economy, but most important……. Protect the environment by bringing forth a technical revolution; a renaissance in the use of environmentally friendly material science as part of a new era in environmental restoration.
Mobilization
Currently, all materials are premixed using a proprietary blend. The weight of Sea ReClaim™ is such that transportation is of low concern. Ocean deployment is readily facilitated by blow broadcasting technology from barge on water and by mobile equipment on shore. Sea ReClaim™ can be applied to all types of oil contamination: surface, subsurface, coastal, with or without dispersant use. Harvesting is easily accomplished through a variety of means depending upon the worksite needs.
Harvesting
When one considers the nature of the resultant Oil Kake, harvesting becomes readily achievable utilizing existing, readily available technologies such as surface skimmers and elevators, grappling hooks, fishing nets and mesh screens. Once gathered, the Oil Kakes will be transported to portable reclamation facilities for processing.
Reclamation
After harvesting of the Oil Kakes, material will be transported to convenient regional reclamation facilities for extraction and processing.
Extraction
Once the Oil Kake is received, it will be batched for processing using Eco Renascence, LLC proprietary processing technology. Crude oil will be separated from the Sea ReClaim™ product. The oil will then be repackaged for shipment to a refining facility for processing into its desired products.
Recycling
As a by-product of the extraction process, the Sea ReClaim™ product will be recovered and made ready for its next deployment or disposed of without restriction in landfills.
Sea ReClaim™ Costs
Efficiency
Sea ReClaim™ is a material whose weight to surface strength ratio is extraordinarily low. The surface strength area of 5 gm is approximately 10 football fields. That is the power of natural nanotechnology. Its capacity is measured not only in oil absorbency but also in its available chemical binding handles. For every part of Sea ReClaim™, there are 16 active handles per square nm which attack and bind with an associated handle in its petroleum counterpart.
Volume
Sea ReClaim™ will continue to bind with any petroleum product until it has satisfied all handles. Adding an excess of Sea ReClaim™ will assure 100% cleanup and is the preferred mode of application. Any Sea ReClaim™ material which doesn’t contact a petroleum handle simply coalesces unto itself as a readily visible buoyant mass floating on the surface and can be harvested and immediately redeployed or retargeted to an oil area as the product will move “en masse” through manipulation on the surface of the water.
Allan D. Pronovost, Ph.D.
Michael E. Hickey, Ph.D.
August 23, 2010
References:
1 http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/text_version/chemicals.php?id=73
2 http://www.epa.gov/emergencies/content/ncp/product_schedule.htm
3 http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doctype/2931/57851/
4 http://www.iosc.org/papers/00020.pdf
5 http://www.sciencecorps.org/crudeoilhazards.htm
6 Jean-Michel Cousteau conversation, PBS Newshour, June 8, 2010
7 http://www.protecttheocean.com/Gulf-oil-spill-bp/
8 http://mtmeyer1.newsvine.com/_news/2010/06/04/4462899-Gulf-of-mexico-crude-oil-a-toxic-brew
9 http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/01/science/la-sci-Gulf-crude-20100430
10 http://www.nola.com/news/Gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/04/Gulf_of_mexico_oil_spill_could.html
11 http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/air.html
12 http://ebsinfo.com/blog/?p=32
13 http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:PwPs-tAwAJ8J:big5.cri.cn/gate/big5/enpf.chinabroadcast.cn/TalkChina/forums/thread/75391.aspx+foul+odor+plankton+
%22Gulf+oil%22&cd=47&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
14 http://www.hgtech.com/Data/Oil/Fuel_Oil.html014
15 http://www.intertek-cb.com/news/mercury30092003.shtml
16 Sikora Z. Fuel and Energy Abstracts, Volume 38, Number 6, November 1997 , pp. 392-392(1) Lead distribution during crude oil distillation process
17 Esmaeil S. AL-Saleh and Christian Obuekwe. Biodegradation. Volume 56, Issue17Issue17 1, July 2005. Inhibition of hydrocarbon bioremediation by lead in a crude oil-contaminated soil
18 http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/text_version/chemicals.php?id=73
19 Stigter, J.B. et al. Environmental Pollution 107;451-464, 2000. Determination of cadmium, zinc, copper, chromium, and arsenic in crude oil cargoes