"PROCESS OF OBTAINING INDUSTRIAL ORGANIC ABSORBENT

WITH AQUATIC PLANTS AND APPLICATION WAY"

BRIEF PRESENTATION

The present request of Patent of Invention relates to the "PROCESS

OF OBTAINING INDUSTRIAL ORGANIC ABSORBENT WITH

AQUATIC PLANTS AND APPLICATION WAY"; more particularly the said

process consists of the use of aquatic plants known, for example, as aguapes

(Eichornia crassipes) properly processed, as well as others of the same gender to

be exemplified along this description, originating an organic sub-product with

great capacity of sipping oils, fuels, solvents, heavy metals, coloring,

hydrocarbons, among other and most of the organic materials.

The invention contemplates the possibilities to mold its application

according to the need, being able to, for instance, to fill out contention tubes used

in oil leaks in the water; crooked or even in bulk with appropriate granulemetry

to the product to be absorbed in terrestrial leaks. The sub-product still can be used

in the flowing treatment and similar, being its application field had diversified

relating to an organic absorbent, totally ecological.

In the current STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE, the leaks of chemical

products, be in the earth or in the water, it consists of a great problem, generating

environmental upset that, if no controlled, can commit the whole ecosystem in

the area of the referred leak, as thoroughly published in the media in the last

times.

One of the most common accidents of happening is the leak of raw

oil and its similar in platforms, transport ships, commercial ships or even in

underwater piping or others. In these cases, the providence to be taken is to

contain a great area around the leak, using for this physical barriers so that to

impede the progress of the oil or similar by the action of the tides or fluent of the

seas and rivers, in way to delimit the affected area. Once contained or delimited

the area, bombs of great capacity are worked, bombs that repress the polluted

fluid to a tug or other embarkation type that takes this mixture to the earth in

order to separate and to give appropriate destiny to the components. In the case of

leak in earth is almost always common the use of sand that, put upon to the

drained product, sips the same, however in a rudimentary way showing itself a

lithe ineffective, could get lost a precious time in the contention of such leak,

which can flow to points of fluent water.

The technique knows a product based on peat, of Canadian origin,

that is not so efficient in the sorption of oils and similar.

Groups are trained with care in the intention of combating those

types of accidents, however it still lacks advanced technology that aid them in an

effective way in this work.

A second aspect that can be explained in the current technique refers

to the treatment of flowing originating from residential or industrial sewers,

where is normal finding oils, heavy metals, coloring, hydrocarbons and other

organic materials.

In the intention of curing the inconveniences above mentioned the

inventor, person active in this section, after countless researches developed the

organic material obtained from several plants that, in the nature, are easy to find

in aquatic areas, denominated popularly of aguapes, that by their particularities

are proliferated ferociously in polluted waters turning themselves a true upset for

the ecosystem where grows up, because they absorb the whole oxygen of the area

in damage to the fauna and the flora, being their retreat of such areas a good thing

to the nature.

The invented absorbent is obtained from several genders and plant

families, that cultivated or collected from their habitat, as above commented, are

pricked in sizes from 5 to 15mm, through a pick developed for this purpose; after

that is made an alkaline hydrolysis; for then to take place a pre-drying in natural

greenhouse; made the pre-drying an intermediate drying is accomplished in

ventilated greenhouse among 35° C and 60° C; for then to give the final drying in

ovens among 60° C and 100° C; properly drought the grinding is accomplished in

crusher developed for this purpose and, finally it is made a classification through

sieves.

Such plants have as common particularity the fact of they possess a

porous capillary structure, which provides to the product odd characteristics. The

cellular structure of the absorbent doesn't allow the liberation of the products

absorbed by its and, for being hydro repellent, stays floating while absorbs the

products harmful to the environment, as, for instance, oils and heavy metals on

liquid surfaces.

Therefore the invented absorbent highlights for maintaining itself

united to the absorbed material.

More particularly it can relate as plants susceptible to use:

Table 1. Aquatic Maorofits of the Jijoca pond of Jericoacoara, Ceara. Forms of Life of Rooted Plants: AT = amphibious tolerant to the drought, FF = with flotation leaves, IS = with vegetative parts completely submerged.

Family

Gender/Species Vernacular name Form of life , EAC Register

ALISMATACEAE

Echinodorus tenellus (Mart.) Buchen. lirio d'agua AT 24693

BURMANNIACEAE

Burmannia capitata Mart. AT 30244

CHARACEAE

Chara sp. alga AT 4868

CONVOLVULACEAE

Ipomoea asaralifolia Poir. salsa-da-praia AT 29510

CYPERACEAE

Biilbostylis ef. hirtella (Thunb.) Svenson capim-barba-de-bode AT 33121

Cypenis agregatus (Willd.) Endl. junco AT 31.123

Cypenis amabilis (Vahl AT 2933 ₅

Cyperus ligularis L. tiririca AT 29346

Eleocharis off. genicnlata (L.) Roem. & Schult. junquinho AT 29336

Eleocharis atropurpurea (Retz.) Kunth junquinho AT 29552

Eleocharis barrosi Svenson junquinho AT 31095

Eleocharis elata Boeck. junco-de-cangalha AT 29338

Eleocharis geniculate (L.) Roem. & Schult. junquinho AT 29550

Eleocharis mutata (L.) Roem. & Schult. junco-trSs-quinas IS 31120

Eleocharis sellowiana Kunth junquinho AT 31096

Eleocharis sp. I junquinho IS 31044

Fimbristylis cymosa R. Br. tiririca AT 29334

Fuirena wnbellata Rottb. capim AT 31118

Kyllinga vaginata Lam. AT 29343

Pycreus polytachyos (Rottb.) P. Beauv. AT 29553

Rhyncospora cyperoides Mart. tiririca AT 29557

Rhuncospora riparia Boeck tiririca AT 29545

Scleria hirtella Sw. AT 31091

FABACEAE

Indigo/era hirsuta L. anileira AT 29511

Neptunia plena (L.) Benth AT 29512

Stylosanthes angtistifolia Vog. vassourinha AT 29529

Zornia latifolia Sm. AT 29526

GENTIANACEAE

Schultesia guyanensis Malme mata-zombando AT 29514

LENTIBULARIACEAE

Utricularia adpressa Salzm. ex. A. St. HiI. & Girardi AT 30245

Utriciilaria trichopliylla Spruce ex. Oliver IS 29549 '

LOGANIACEAE

Spigelia anthelmia L. lombrigueira AT 29498

MALVACEA

Pavonia cancellata Cav. malva-rasteira AT 29499

Sida anomala A. St. HiI. AT 29516

MENYANTHACEAE

Nymphoides indica (L.) Kuntze llrio-agua FF 29523

NYMPHAEACEAE

Nymphaea lasiophylla Mart. & Zucc. ninfέia FF 29546

Nmnphaea rudgeana G.F.W.Mey. ninfέia FF 30216

As the plants above mentioned properly cultivated and / or retreats of

their habitat, after wash and drying are submitted to a grinding process in order to

acquire the ideal granulemetry, generating a product with the aspect of a crumb,

susceptible to several types or application manners.

With a high superficial area it allows high capacity of accumulation

of solutes. That fact is consequence of the need of the related plants to remove

from water their nutrients, being thta in some cases the nutrients are removed by

the leaves and, in others for the roots. The high degree of porosity combined with

the great hydrophobia, by the presence of wax in the hair of the leaves and high

density of negative superficial groups, they give to the invented absorbent

conditions of odd sorption among the investigated species. Through the

particularity highly hydrophobic and of the force of capillary suction added to the

high porosity, develops a tremendous capillary force in the sense of absorption of

oils and other products, already mentioned, harmful to the environment.

The negative superficial groups, type carboxyl, responsible for the

reactions of ionic change with the cations of the aqueous way, propitiate the

capacity of the product to react and to fasten heavy metals.

Therefore, the invented organic absorbent, by the obtained results, is

excellent for control of pollutant and present itself as a new option of market,

ecologically correct, under appropriate conditions, in the hydric or terrestrial

pollution control, as well as in the flowing treatment.

Some tests, as demonstrated below, confirm the high power of

sorption of the product.

The absorbent can be supplied in:

• Absorbent Cushion: Dimensions = 0,40 x 0,45 m - Absorption of up to 6

liters of oil.

• Tubular Absorbent Bar: Dimensions = 0,10 x 1,50 m - Absorption of up to

6,5 liters of oil.

• Sack (in bulk): Content = 36 1 - Absorption of up to 24 liters of oil.

• Flowing treatment in bulk, compressed between denser materials as, for

instance, sand.

In the reality, the invention treats of an organic material,

preferentially composed with one or the combination of the plants above

mentioned; with high capacity to sip oils, fuels, solvents, heavy metals, coloring,

hydrocarbons, etc., and most of the organic materials, being susceptible to be

efficient in the earth and in the water.

Another advantage to be illustrated is the viability of final polishing

of polluted flowing with oils from mining and metal work industries.

The application is simple, not demanding technical personnel or

expense with special equipments. It is easy to use, safe, extremely light and not

toxic. For being a product entirely natural, it doesn't offer risks to the

environment nor in the handling, being extremely easy due to its little weight. It

is a product ecologically correct.

After its application on dry surfaces, it is of easy removal, being

enough to sweep or to remove with a shovel. On liquid surfaces, it is collected

with help of sieve or shovel.

After its use, it should be discarded according to the local legislation.

When used in the absorption of oils, it can be used as biomass in

generators of heat / steam, in case of the local environment legislation allows this.

In that case, it is presented as a source of energy of 4700 kcal/kg.