	US 11,884,563 B1
	Lignin floccules as cleaning agents for oil-contaminated materials
Qinglin Wu, Baton Rouge, LA (US); and Pawan Kumar Mishra, Brno (CZ)
Assigned to Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Baton Rouge, LA (US)
Filed by Qinglin Wu, Baton Rouge, LA (US); and Pawan Kumar Mishra, Brno (CZ)
Filed on Mar. 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/690,049.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/160,039, filed on Mar. 12, 2021.
Int. Cl. C02F 1/56 (2023.01); B01J 20/24 (2006.01); C02F 1/52 (2023.01); C02F 1/68 (2023.01); B01J 20/28 (2006.01); C02F 101/32 (2006.01); C02F 103/00 (2006.01); C02F 103/08 (2006.01); E02B 15/04 (2006.01)

CPC C02F 1/56 (2013.01) [B01J 20/24 (2013.01); C02F 1/5227 (2013.01); C02F 1/681 (2013.01); B01J 20/28023 (2013.01); B01J 2220/4831 (2013.01); C02F 2101/32 (2013.01); C02F 2103/007 (2013.01); C02F 2103/08 (2013.01); C02F 2305/14 (2013.01); E02B 15/04 (2013.01); Y02W 30/62 (2015.05)]

15 Claims

1. A process for removing oil from an oil-contaminated plastic, comprising extracting at least some oil from the oil-contaminated plastic with an aqueous composition comprising water, an electrolyte, and lignin; wherein:

(a) the composition has a pH between 2 and 6;

(b) the electrolyte is dissolved in the water at a concentration between 0.1 molal and 3.0 molal;

(c) the lignin is between 0.01% and 10.0% of the composition by mass; wherein at least some of the lignin is suspended in the aqueous composition as particulates, as colloids, or as both; and

(d) most of the lignin by mass takes the form of floccules at the pH and electrolyte concentration of the composition.