Switzerland has developed a nano-sponges to combat oil pollution

Swiss Federal laboratory of material science and technology (Empa) have developed a new absorbent material that will be useful for oil spills.

Submitted adsorbent can be produced from environmentally friendly materials that contain cellulose. This wood, agricultural residues or recycled paper. Nanocellulose sponge – highly absorbent material able to absorb a lot of oil or butter, up to 50 times greater than its own weight.

The basis for the sponge: recycled materials, straw or wood mixed with water and passed through a narrow nozzle at high pressure. The obtained gel-like suspension contains long cellulose nanofibers. Then there is the removal of air, drying and freezing. In the laboratory nanocube were able to effectively absorb, floating in water, motor oil, ethanol, acetone and chloroform.

Source: nauka24news.ru/