CONTEXT

Currently used adsorbant materials present many disadvantages:

• They are known to get quickly saturated on their surface not allowing then the trapping of fluids in high quantity;
• Their density, their porosity as well as their polarity cannot be controlled;
• Currently available adsorbant porous materials are either mineral-based (activated carbon, zeolite, clay) or synthetic polymers;
• They are also hard to recycle which leads to additional costs;
• Finally trapped products are known to be hard to extract from said materials.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION

In the present work, the inventors have developped the use of microporous bio-based organogels as fluids (air, water containing organic compounds) adsorption-based trapping materials and / or as fluids controlled liberating materials after solubilization of said fluids in the organogels.

Organogels are semi-solid materials comprising an organic liquid or an oil immobilized in a tridimensional network of fibers resulting from the self-assembly of an organogelling agent either polymeric or of a low moleculary mass. As a consequence of the targetted products to be trapped, the developped porous organogels are hydrophobe and comprises an oil (soybean oil)

DEVELOPMENT STAGE

The use of said organogels has been assessed in numerous applications:

• Trapping of an hydrocarbon film on the surface of water;
• Trapping of polluting agents on a soil;
• Trapping of an odor;
• Controlled release of an entrapped fluid;

BENEFITS

The technology offers many advantages versus current technologies:

• Bio-based products;
• High specific surface area due to  which leads to better adsorption property;
• Controlled density, porosity and polarity.
• Dual property : adsorption / solubilization à higher fluid trapping load;
• Inexpensive and eco-friendly process;

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INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

Two types of organic compounds contained in fluids are targetted :

• Polluting agents (hydrocarbon, xenobiotics, heavy metal ions)
• Volatil substances (insect pheromones, plant, flower or resin aroma)

The trapped fluid can then be directly analysed through liquid or gaz chromatography and / or MS after
dissolution in a appropriate solvent. The porous aerogel can also play the role of a SPE support.

For further information, please contact us (Ref 04856-01)