Your Web News in One Place

Help Webnuz

Referal links:

Sign up for GreenGeeks web hosting
September 26, 2013 02:58 am -04

Texas A&M researchers concoct nanoparticles to soak up crude oil spills

Texas A&M researchers concoct nanoparticles to soak up crude oil spills

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon may be forgotten to many, but remnants of its destruction still remain in the Gulf of Mexico. Mercifully, it appears that researchers at Texas A&M University "have developed a non-toxic sequestering agent-iron oxide nanoparticles coated in a polymer mesh that can hold up to 10 times their weight in crude oil." In layman's terms, they've engineered a material that can safely soak up oil. As the story goes, the nanoparticles "consist of an iron oxide core surrounded by a shell of polymeric material," with the goal being to soak up leftover oil that isn't captured using conventional mechanical means. The next step? Creating an enhanced version that's biodegradable; as it stands, the existing particles could pose a threat if not collected once they've accomplished their duties.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: Materials 360 Online, Inside Science, ACS Nano


Original Link: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/25/texas-am-nanoparticles-soak-up-crude-oil/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_se

Share this article:    Share on Facebook
View Full Article

Engadget

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics. Engadget was launched in March of 2004 in partnership with the Weblogs, Inc. Network (WI

More About this Source Visit Engadget