Modified Sawdust Soaks Up Oil Spills

Dec-13-16 A simple modification to common sawdust could lead to an effective way to clean up Arctic oil spills.

Developed by the team from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the material address the shortcomings of current materials, which do not work as well in extremely cold or rough water. Sawdust remains buoyant in freezing and rough waters, even when ice fragments are present, and has the added bonus of being environmentally friendly. To make the material even more effective, the team added vegetable oil components that allow it to absorb oil while repelling water.

According to the team, the modified sawdust can absorb up to five times its weight in oil while remaining buoyant for up to four months.

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[NEWATLAS.COM]
[PNNL.GOV]

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