New Type of Sponge Raises Hopes For Better Absorption Of Oil Spill; Absorbs 90 Times Its Weight

By Jeff Thompson - 07 Mar '17 15:36PM

The scientists of Argonne National Lab located in Lemont, Illinois, discovered a new sponge that is helpful in absorbing spilled oil in a better way. It is found that the material is capable of absorbing up to 90 times its weight and it can be reused up to 100 times, where traditional absorbing materials can't be reused.

The sponge is developed from polyurethane foam that has silane coated, and it attracts oil in large quantities. However, the researchers said that the ratio of silane in the polyurethane foam should be accurate to use it effectively. If there is less silane, it can't hold too much of oil in it, but, if it has too much silane, it can't be reused. This makes creating the right ratio, a tricky process. Also, this delicate balance would make absorbing the oil in the deep ocean challenging. But, it could be more useful in coastal areas, where absorbing oil spillage is difficult.

Scientists have developed a genius new way to soak up oil spills pic.twitter.com/zsKnHE3UC9

— Business Insider (@businessinsider) March 6, 2017

Once the material has absorbed the oil, it can be extracted easily by wringing the material. The research team has confirmed that it is working to test the material in a large environment like sea oil spills to see how effectively it is absorbing oil. The team is also looking options to use the material in the deep sea, where high pressure is common.

It should be noted that cleaning up oil spillage is a difficult and expensive process now. It is also time-consuming process with the current technologies available. Sorbent boom, a floating absorbent material is mostly used for absorbing oil from seas as it gives the best result considering other options. It should be noted that sorbent boom can absorb from 3 to 70 times of its weight, but, it can't be reused, and should be disposed permanently after use. It is also an expensive process as it needs a large amount of material to remove heavy spills.