The Future of Cleaning Oil Spills: Robots, Wood Chips and Sponges

Recent oil spills in Russia and Mauritius have shown that the industry still needs better methods for cleaning up accidents. Researchers are working on some unlikely-sounding solutions, including oil-absorbing wood chips, a solar-powered robot and a reusable sponge. The oil industry is controlled by large companies and their suppliers, which together have often been the cause of spills, but university researchers and small firms are playing a key role in promoting new ways to clean up. Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a reusable sponge coated in a mixture containing iron and carbon that can absorb 30 times its weight in oil. The sponge, similar to sponges in everyday items such as furniture cushions and packaging, has attracted interest for further testing from several major oil companies, according to the researchers.