SUNO director receives third patent

16th June 2014   ·   0 Comments

NEW ORLEANS, LA – The United States Patent and Trade­mark Office has issued a patent for a new invention that can be used in oil spill cleanup. The invention, called “Gulf Oil Spill Underwater Oleophilic Hydro­phobic Oil-capturing Water Permeable Drag-net,” is designed to remove oil by dragging the net vertically through bodies of water. The net is made of a porous oil-capturing, water-repelling and water-permeable material.

“This is another patent-protected product to be marketed for procurement through the State of Louisiana and private companies in the near future,” said Dr. William Belisle, director for Grants and Sponsored Programs at Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) and holder of the patent.

The mesh-like material is made from threads and wires

knotted, twisted and woven to form a pattern with fine spaces between the threads. Each strand of the metal, plastic, wire and fiber net-type material is made and covered with organic and inorganic Oleophilic hydrophobic and superhydrophobic, oil-attracting and oil-bonding molecules, materials or sorbents. The drag-net collects large amounts of oil from spill areas and reduces the negative impact on the water and its shores.

“We envision this new ‘green’ technology to be considered for use in future oil-spill related situations. It will also be used in research and development, student training, and contribute to Louisiana economic development,” Dr. Belisle said.

Dr. Belisle previously received patents for the first patented motorcycle airbag system in 2000, and a device used to magnetically elevate and then manipulate floating objects in 2004.

This article originally published in the June 16, 2014 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.