Future of Engineering
Monday, June 2, 2008
Nanopaper - Clean Up An Oil Spill Instantly
"Containing or cleaning up an oil spill in sea ice remains difficult at best."
Reports point out difficulty in cleaning Arctic oil spills in Beaufort Sea - Oilweek Magazine
Not anymore. The nanopaper from MIT promises to clean up oil spills, difficult emulsions and other environmental toxins too.
Image courtesy / Francesco Stellacci, MIT, and Nature Nanotechnology
Normal writing paper,is made from cellulose whereas nanopaper is made from solid potassium manganese oxide nanowires. Each nanowire is about 20 nanometres in diameter, and together they naturally clump together to form strands several centimetres long.
Membranes made of manganese oxide nanowires can be used to selectively absorb oil from water through a combination of superhydrophobicity and capillary action.
By coating the nanopaper with siloxane vapour, a common polymer, the researchers were able to make it repel water while attracting oil. It's the combination of the nanowires and the coating that creates oil-absorbing nanopaper.
The nanopaper absorbs the oil spill within five minutes. Then the paper would be boiled to separate the oil. After separation the nonopaper can be re-used.
Image courtesy / Francesco Stellacci, MIT, and Nature Nanotechnology
The MIT team that has invented this successful design has also applied for a patent. Once that happens they intend to launch it commercially.
Source - MIT
Reports point out difficulty in cleaning Arctic oil spills in Beaufort Sea - Oilweek Magazine
Not anymore. The nanopaper from MIT promises to clean up oil spills, difficult emulsions and other environmental toxins too.
Image courtesy / Francesco Stellacci, MIT, and Nature Nanotechnology
Normal writing paper,is made from cellulose whereas nanopaper is made from solid potassium manganese oxide nanowires. Each nanowire is about 20 nanometres in diameter, and together they naturally clump together to form strands several centimetres long.
Membranes made of manganese oxide nanowires can be used to selectively absorb oil from water through a combination of superhydrophobicity and capillary action.
By coating the nanopaper with siloxane vapour, a common polymer, the researchers were able to make it repel water while attracting oil. It's the combination of the nanowires and the coating that creates oil-absorbing nanopaper.
The nanopaper absorbs the oil spill within five minutes. Then the paper would be boiled to separate the oil. After separation the nonopaper can be re-used.
Image courtesy / Francesco Stellacci, MIT, and Nature Nanotechnology
The MIT team that has invented this successful design has also applied for a patent. Once that happens they intend to launch it commercially.
Source - MIT
PermaLink - Nanopaper - Clean Up An Oil Spill Instantly posted by Vanessa : 12:54 AM
