Researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed a revolutionary polymer foam that absorbs over 8 times its weight in oil and could be an innovative solution to clean up spills.
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Absorbing the Problem
Typical oil-cleanup technologies are frequently incapable of completely containing and removing spills. That is the role of a new polymer foam created by researchers from the University of Waterloo.
The polymer itself — a tri-block polymer styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene or SEBS for short — is gellable, which means that it goes all jelly-like when it’s exposed to oil. This gel seals the oil in as part of a containment system, ensuring no more will leave the area, leech into groundwater and cause further environmental disaster.
The intrinsic porosity of the material, which enables water to pass through but sequester the oil within its structure, is one of its main benefits. Selective absorption using a system like this is important to make sure that the cleanup of contaminants does not itself create contamination.
Versatile and Sustainable
This polymer foam has other uses besides just absorbing oil. This makes it light and easy to move around, which is great in a real-life situation.
Individual potential applications include electric transformers, and oil storage tanks that otherwise might leak those products to the groundwater due to accidents or natural disasters. This gel-like substance can effectively hold an oil, the same way a paper towel soaks it up while preparing fried food; otherwise, the oil would contaminate the environment by seeping into the surrounding water supply.
At the same time, this innovation is sustainable as well. In addition to this, the material can recover 100 per cent of the oil trapped in its gel through a secondary process, making it possible not only to collect oils responsible for the oil spills but also to recycle or reclaim them.
Conclusion
This polymer foam by the University of Waterloo is a major deal when it comes to oil spill remediation developments. We have the potential to change how we approach oil contamination, protecting marine and terrestrial ecosystems for all life on Earth with effective, sustainable, and versatile solutions. While the research team works to combine everything and refine solutions with its industry partners Further success in combating oil spills on our environment is encouraged.
