Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1

Oil spills pose a serious global pollution problem and have a strong negative impact on the environment into which they are released. In marine environments they are known to negatively affect feeding, growth, development, and reproduction of living organisms. For that reason, development of a cost-effective and efficient oil recovery method and material is of high priority. Current oil recovering materials available are extremely costly and are limited to a one-time use, leading to the creation of additional oil-saturated wastes which end up in landfills. Vertility Oil and Gas is an Ontario-based company that targets the Oil industry through offering services and products which are capable of separating oil from water and other materials on which they have been spilled or deposited. OilStic is an innovative product created from rubber tires. OilStic can remove oil from a variety of surfaces because of its ability to adsorb oil and repel water which makes it a beneficial water remediation product. The properties of rubber tires suggest they are an ideal remediation solution due to the presence of carbon black in them, known to have a large adsorption capability, and rubber which is oleophilic. The primary objective of this applied research project is to optimize the adsorption efficiency of the OilStic product to maximize oil removal in water and on hard surfaces. Validation of this product to improve water quality as well as the opportunity for leaching of oil and pollutants will also be investigated. Optimization and validation of this product will be confirmed through applications on a range of hydrocarbon densities, in waters of varying salinities and on hard surfaces, at varying temperatures and weather conditions to determine optimal conditions for use. The results of this applied research will allow Vertility Oil and Gas to optimize their product, providing technical credibility and improving their market position.