The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 03, 2015
Filed:
Feb. 09, 2012
Markus Zahn, Cambridge, MA (US);
T. Alan Hatton, Sudbury, MA (US);
Shahriar Rohinton Khushrushahi, Cambridge, MA (US);
Markus Zahn, Cambridge, MA (US);
T. Alan Hatton, Sudbury, MA (US);
Shahriar Rohinton Khushrushahi, Cambridge, MA (US);
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (US);
Abstract
Method for oil removal. The method includes adding a magnetizable material, with or without appropriately selected surfactants, of order micron (having no net magnetization) or nanometer size to magnetize the oil or water phase by either making a ferrofluid, magnetorheological fluid, a magnetic Pickering emulsion (oil in water or water in oil emulsion), or any other process to magnetize either oil or water phases. The magnetized fluid is separated from the non-magnetic phase using novel or existing magnetic separation techniques or by permanent magnets or electromagnets thereby separating oil and water phases. The magnetized particles are separated from the magnetized phase using novel or existing magnetic separation techniques to recover and reuse the particles. The two magnetic separation steps can be repeated to further increase recovery efficiency of the liquid phases and the magnetizable particles reused in this continuous process.