A portable oil-water separation unit especially well adapted for use in removing oil from limited quantities of water such as in clarifying bilge water in a boat, includes a sealed container a flexible, porous bag filled or packed with a granular oleophilic, hydrophobic foamed polymeric material. The container has a removable closure, with an inlet and at least one outlet extending through the closure to permit a water-oil mixture such as bilge water to be circulated therethrough. The inlet conduit terminates in the top portion of the container at a point spaced below the closure while the outlet conduit extends to and terminates at a position adjacent the bottom of the container so that the effluent from the apparatus must flow downward through the foamed material, whereby the oil is separated by attraction to the oleophilic material as well as by filtration and floatation while the water is permitted to flow through the device.

Surfaces and media contaminated with fatty materials such as hydrocarbons, vegetable or animal oils or fats, organic solvents and other organic compounds may be cleaned by spreading thereon leather particles and/or fibers. A preferred embodiment comprises bringing leather wastes to a selected water content and crushing them to particles and/or fibers.

Apparatus for treating a shoreline against contamination from an oil spill on adjacent waters comprising a first vehicle for laying down a web of oil absorbing material on said shoreline and taking up said web after it has absorbed oil, a second vehicle for transporting said first vehicle and said webs to the area of said shoreline, and a third vehicle for storing oil extracted from said web by extraction mechanism on said first vehicle. An all-terrain vehicle for laying a web of oil absorbing material on a shoreline including a vehicle body supported by a plurality of wheels, means on said body for supporting a coiled web of said oil absorbing material and for guiding said web onto said shoreline, and means for coiling said web back onto the vehicle and extracting oil therefrom. A method of treating a shoreline against contamination from an oil spill comprising the steps of transporting a web laying vehicle and a plurality of oil absorbing webs to said shoreline, causing said web laying vehicle to lay said oil absorbing webs onto said shoreline, taking up said oil absorbing webs and extracting oil from them, and conveying said extracted oil away from said shoreline. A web for use in absorbing oil deposited on a shoreline including spaced layers of plastic netting confining shredded polyolefin fibers therebetween.

One embodiment of the present invention provides for a biodegradable absorbent material for oil or other hydrocarbon liquid spills. The material consists of a mixture of granulated foam, microbial nutrient, de-dust agent and ground cellulosic material. This mixture is superior to other absorbent mixtures because it biodegrades faster than other mineral or organic adsorbents and is less expensive than synthetic adsorbents on the market today. The material is useful in field operations, plants and shop or even home use. Another embodiment of the present invention, provides for a system for absorbing hydrocarbon based liquids spilled on a surface using the absorbent material described.

The invention is a method of clearing oil spills by chemically treating the urface of the oil spill with a polymer of high molecular weight having jelling properties thereby causing the oil to coagulate. The oil is then easily raked off the surface of the water.