Patent ID: 7691271

Claim:
A method of cleaning-up oil spills on a water surface with carbon particles, comprising the steps of: forming carbon particles in a process consisting of passing electrical current through catalytic material that consists solely of carbon black, heating the catalytic material consisting solely of the carbon black from about 850° C. to about 1200° C., and passing a stream of hydrocarbon fuel through the catalytic material consisting solely of carbon black with production of hydrogen-rich gas and a plurality of carbon particles with a filamentary surface deposited on the surface of the catalytic material and recovering the carbon particles having a structure of loose curved elongated worm shaped filaments, with a hollow portion, and each of the filaments having a tubular, longitudinal uniformity, of graphitic structure, each of filaments being approximately one micron in mean diameter; scattering the carbon particles on a water surface having an oil layer; breaking the oil layer into a plurality of oil and carbon isles; and removing the plurality of the oil and carbon isles from the water surface.