Oil-Water Separation Sponge By Cara McNamara

How can you clean up oil spills in bodies of water if you cannot separate the oil from the water???

The Melamine Sponge Aims to separate and clean oil and other pollutants from the water Represents a potential environmental cleanup tool for water pollution Developed by Purdue University researchers in early 2015

How It Works The sponges are superhydrophobic and superoleophilic They reject water while absorbing oils Made using melamine sponges A porous material found in household cleaning pads and insulation materials Sponge is modified by being dipped into a solution of hexane and PDMS ( a silicone rubber) Results in a thin coat on the sponge

How It Works

How It Works

Benefits Inexpensive Reusable Has an absorption capacity of 45-75 times its own weight Can be used to soak up various types of oils and pollutants Includes hydrocarbons, coolants, certain pesticides, insulating fluids, carcinogenic compounds (PCBs) Can be readily adopted for the cleanup of oil spills and industrial chemical leaks

Data Exhibited high selectivity and recyclability with an absorption capacity of greater than 90% after 1000 cycles Continuously separated oil from water for up to 12 hours Can separated surfactant-free and stabilized-in-water oils with high efficiency For maximum efficacy, the pollutant should have low surface tension the difference in surface tensions allows for the separation by the sponge Water has a relatively high surface tension

Data The sponge can be dragged along the surface to soak up oil Once full, the sponge floats on top of the water for easy retrieval By applying suction, this will allow for the continuous use of the sponge to draw out oils while leaving behind the water

Why It Is Necessary The effects of the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill of 2010 are expected to be felt for decades to come Some oil still remains, and the wildlife is still being affected With the use of the sponge, the longevity of the impact will be decreased as the oil is more efficiently removed from the Gulf

Global Impact Oil spills have both global economic and environmental effects Seen in the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill Hurts and kills marine life, including those harvested for consumption Seafood and oil industries are damaged due to decrease in supply, increasing prices Human health is also at risk Water pollution is a worldwide issue, especially when in the ocean The sponge would fix this!

Personal Impact The sponge could be used on nearby bodies of water (lakes, rivers, ponds) to make them cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing Cleaning up oil spills will decrease the impact I feel of oil spills Less of a dramatic change in price of gasoline and other oil Less of a change in price of seafood

Works Cited http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.iecr.6b00234#/doi/full/10.1021/acs.iecr.6b00234 https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2016/Q2/new-environmental-cleanup- technology-rids-oil-from-water.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/25039789/ http://policy.oceanleadership.org/information-and-education/gulf-mexico-oil-spill/