PURPOSE:

The marine ecosystem is seriously affected by waste oil and spilled oil caused by the accidents of a oil-tanker or a undersea oil field. This problem is drawing the attention as a global environmental pollution. Therefore, TOYO TIRE & RUBBER CO.,LTD. developed an oil recovery technique with using his proprietary polyurethane foaming technology, that is, to absorb spilled oil with low density polyurethane foam (0.03g/cc) which is produced on-site. This technique is believed to contribute to a prevention of a global marine pollution.

CONTENT

1. Synthesis of hydrophobic polyurethane foam

The high oil absorbing polyurethane foam is produced by the reaction of hydrophobic polyols and polyisocyanates.

2. Development of blowing technique

・The on-site foaming process is developed.

・A large quantities of polyurethane foam is produced in a moment, so it takes only one minute to finish the foaming process.

3. Pilot test

・We developed a equipment to scatter and recover oil absorbing polyurethane foam to and from the sea surface, and tested with favorable results. This equipment makes it possible to recover a large amount of spilled oil in a short time.

PROPERTIES

・In a pilot test using a developed equipment, the developed polyurethane foam showed an excellent absorption (about 40g of oil/g of foam) of the oil having a kinematic viscosity of 10-4m2/s at 20℃. This foam can absorb oil about three times as much as the conventional oil absorption mats made of polypropylene.

・Oil recovering ability is about 90m³/hr (B-heavy oil) in pilot facilities.

・Oil absorption capacity of the developed polyurethane foam (g/g).