Oil spills can be sucked up by this ‘sponge’ that’s also made from oil

Oil spills are disastrous for the environment, but a newly developed absorbent polymer could prove a novel cleaning solution.

Developed by Australian and European researchers, with details published in the journal Advanced Sustainable Systems, the material is actually a combination of used cooking oils and sulphur — the latter of which is a waste product of the petroleum industry.

Like a sponge, the polymer sucks up crude oil, which then can be squeezed and reused again. While there have been other sponge-like solutions to oil spills mooted in the past, this new polymer solution is created from waste products, which is of additional benefit to the environment. Read more…

More about Australia, Environment, Sea, Oil Spill, and Science