According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 1.3 million gallons of oil are annually spilled into U.S. waters. This results in killing thousands of birds and marine mammals, depression in the economy, and setback in the tourism industry. In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico affected millions of people and wildlife. Sadly, effects can still be seen today with oil that was once buried underneath the sand and is now being washed up on shores.
Scientists at the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois may have developed a sponge that has the potential of saving our oceans from spills similar to the one of the Deepwater Horizon. Seth Darling and his colleagues have fabricated a material called the Oleo Sponge that can absorb up to 90 times its own weight in oil and then later be wrung out so that the oil can be reused. Most commercial absorbent materials can only be used one time and are then tossed away, along with the oil. However, the Oleo Sponge can be reused, which means that used ones wouldn’t be adding to the ever growing pile of garbage in landfills. The sponge can absorb oil on the surface of the water, as well as pull oil that is dispersed throughout the entire body — something that isn’t possible with other sorbents.
The sponge is made of polyurethane and covered in silane molecules that are attracted to oil. After recreating an oil spill in a large pool and putting the Oleo Sponge to work researchers came upon some unprecedented results. “Our treated sponges did way better than either the untreated foam that we brought or commercial sorbent,” said Darling. The only scenario left to test is the performance of the sponge under the high pressures of deep seas.
It seems like the Oleo Sponge has the potential of becoming a game changer for the environment. Darling and his colleagues hope to see it used soon after optimizing it for large scale production.
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