Technical Textiles Used To Remove Oil Spills From Water
German researchers have developed a new method for removing oil spills from water surfaces in an energy-saving, cost-effective way and without the use of toxic substances.
The method is made possible by a technical textile that is integrated into a floating container. A single small device can remove up to four litres of diesel within an hour.
“This corresponds to about 100 sq. metres of oil film on a water surface,” researchers at the ITA, the University of Bonn and Heimbach GmbH found.
The researchers examined around 20,000 different species of which, some species in particular stood out for their excellent oil adsorption properties.
It was found that leaves of the floating fern Salvinia molesta, adsorb oil, separate it from water surfaces and transport it on their surfaces.
The observations inspired them to transfer the effect to technical textiles for separating oil and water. The result is a superhydrophobic spacer fabric that can be produced industrially.
The bio-inspired textile can be integrated into a device for oil-water separation. This entire device is called a Bionic Oil Absorber (BOA).
Starting from the contamination in the form of an oil film on the water surface, the separation and collection process works according to various steps.
“Overall, the BOA device offers a cost-effective and sustainable method of oil-water separation in contrast to conventional cleaning methods due to various advantages,” the researchers said.
The researchers were able to prove that the BOA technology is efficient and sustainable for a self-controlled separation and automatic collection of oil films, including their complete removal from water.
BOA can be adapted for open water application as well as use in inland waters. Furthermore, the technical textile can be used in various related separation processes.
The product is currently being further developed so that it can be launched on the market in 2-3 years.
Click here to watch the video of a leaf of the floating fern absorbing oil
