Test of the suitability of chosen materials in terms of their use for removing oil spillage from the water environment

The paper presents the study about impregnability of various loose materials dedicated as the fillers of oil absorbent socks and booms. Purpose of the survey was finding the material, which is characterized with the smallest hygroscopicity and the highest absorptivity towards typical fuels used in the marine techniques. The cause of take up the topic is the fact, that the contamination of sea areas with petroleum substances are unfortunately very often, are dangerous for natural environment and first of all are so hard to remove from the sea surface. The natural, mineral and synthetic sorbents were studied under laboratory conditions. Samples of the ten kinds of sorbent, each of 2 grams, were treated with the same amount of the diesel fuel, heavy fuel oil and the sea water also, each time in the same period-time (5 minutes). In order to determine the reliability of the results the authors carried out the test fivefold for the one of searched sorbents (recognized as the most hydrophobic-oleophilic substance). The results are presented in graphical form, based on which we are able to select sorbent that fulfils the greatest extent of required expectations. The results of performed tests show that the method that was described in the paper could be used to test the suitability of various materials for the production of devices for collecting the oil film from the surface of the water.