Changsha, China – Its absorbent properties have led to polyurethane foam becoming a routine tool for mopping up oil spills, as an alternative to the use dispersants and skimmers. How might the foam be made more efficient?
A team of scientists at Central South University in Changsha, China have developed a superabsorbent alternative – a Joule-heated stearic acid/carbon nanotube-wrapped PU sponge (SCPU). This, they believe, could allow for the rapid recovery of leaked crude oil in all weather conditions.
The SCPU is both hydrophobic and oleophilic, and is also an electrical conductor. When they applied 6V across it, the surface temperature rose to 146°C in just 70 seconds, reducing the viscosity of the crude oil, and cutting the recovery time by more than 99%. They also found that if they connected it to a peristaltic pump, it was able to continuously recover crude oil floating on the surface of the water.
It has a high absorption capacity for crude oil, and its preparation can readily be scaled up. This, they said, means it offers the prospect of an efficient and practical way to remediate spills of crude oil.
The work has been published in the journal Applied Physics Letters.
