| Description |
There are significant problems associated with the methods employed to clean up oil released from non-natural sources (greater than 343 million gallons annually). Many of the cleanup methods utilized create additional waste or increase the toxicity of spilled oil. To address these problems, and sustainably and effectively remove spilled oil, an environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and biodegradable sorbent material is needed. Here, a super-oleophilic and reusable sponge material is created from a freeze dried, benzalkonium chloride modified, kappa carrageenan polymer matrix. This sponge adsorbs significant amounts of oil, is moderately reusable over multiple adsorption cycles, and is biodegradable in marine environments after use. Degradation tests indicate potential areas of improvement, and processing and material optimizations are needed to ensure the industrial applicability of the developed sponge material. |
