Nylon 6,6 Nonwoven Fabric Separates Oil Contaminates from Oil-in-Water Emulsions

Industrial oil spills into aquatic environments can have catastrophic environmental effects. First responders to oil spills along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in the southern United States have used spunbond nylon fabric bags and fences to separate spilled oil and oil waste from contaminated water. Low area mass density spunbond nylon is capable of sorbing more than 16 times its mass in low viscosity crude oil and more than 26 times its mass in higher viscosity gear lube oil. Nylon bags separated more than 95% of gear lube oil contaminate from a 4.5% oil-in-water emulsion. Field testing of spunbond nylon fences by oil spill first responders has demonstrated the ability of this material to contain the oily contaminate while allowing water to flow through. We hypothesize that the effectiveness of nylon as an oil filter is due to the fact that it is both more oleophilic and more hydrophilic than other commonly used oil separation materials. The nylon traps oil droplets within the fabric or on the surface, while water droplets are free to flow through the fabric to the water on the opposite side of the fabric.

工业溢油进入水生环境后，可引发灾难性的生态后果。美国南部墨西哥湾沿岸的溢油应急响应人员，已采用纺粘尼龙（spunbond nylon）织物袋与围油栏，将溢油及油类废弃物从受污染水体中分离。具备低面密度的纺粘尼龙，可吸附其自身质量16倍以上的低黏度原油，以及26倍以上的高黏度齿轮润滑油。纺粘尼龙袋可从含油量4.5%的水包油乳液中，分离出95%以上的齿轮润滑油污染物。溢油应急响应人员针对纺粘尼龙围油栏开展的现场测试证实，该材料可在允许水体顺利通过的同时，有效截留油类污染物。本研究推测，尼龙作为滤油材料的高效性，源于其相较于其他常用油类分离材料，同时具备更强的亲油性与亲水性。纺粘尼龙可将油滴截留于织物内部或表面，而水滴则可自由穿过织物，抵达织物另一侧的水体中。