Multifunctional Herding-Sorbent Agents for Use in Icy Water

This project evaluated three novel approaches to herding oil including the use of sawdust treated with hydrophobic/oleophilic agents, the use of sawdust treated with hydrophobic/oleophilic agents and bioremediation agents, the and modification of commercially available sorbent products. 
The material that was developed in this process, referred to as an aggregator, showed to be oleophilic, hydrophoci, and buoyant in seawater. The aggregator was tested for oil sorption in the presence of frazil sea ice. Then a series of burn tests were conducted to assess the performance of the aggregator in large scale in-situ burns.