Limes to Remediate Marine Oil Spill via Green and Ecofriendly In Situ Salt Formation

Abstract

An absolute remedy to oil spill is still much solicited owing to empirical issues like (i) viability of the strategy right on the marine surface, (ii) operational ease of the entire process, and (iii) cost of the entire execution, which are difficult to resolve via solo operation. Current work demonstrates a hassle-free, green, and eco-friendly strategy to fix these issues simultaneously. Herein, spontaneous salt formation between carboxylic acids and primary amines, is employed against oil spill. Lime juice, a natural source of citric acid, is used directly with primary amines to congeal petrol/crude oil and spilled-over seawater (at room temperature) without any external stimulus/solvent. The chemistry behind such gelation is probed comprehensively using established physicochemical methods. A realistic model is fabricated by crude oil spilled over marine water and its removal via selective gelation. The recovery of precious oil from accumulated gel is achieved through simple pressure filtration. The feasibility and implications of this strategy is comprehensively analyzed, and an executable blueprint for real-field operation is developed.