Researchers drawn from Australia’s Deakin’s Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM), Philadelphia’s Drexel University, and the Missouri University of Science and Technology have created a revolutionary material designed to absorb oil like a sponge. After years of development in the laboratory, the material is ready for testing by industry professionals in the field, reports Phys.org.The boron nitride-based material was first developed as a powder with incredible absorption capabilities, but a material in powder form is not effective in an oil spill. The team had to turn the powder into a sponge that could be used to absorb the oil from a spill and separate it from other components, including of course water when there is an aquatic accident. It took two years of research, funded in part by the Australian Research Council, to create the revolutionary sponge material. “We are delighted that support from the Australian Research Council allowed us to participate in this interesting study and we could help our IFM colleagues to model and better understand this wonderful material, ” said Drexel Professor Yury Gogotsi

Source: Researchers create super sponge for oil spill cleanups | Digital Trends