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…

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Source: Mashable | Oil spills can be sucked up by this 'sponge' that's also made from oil