Fossil fuels are the cause and the solution to many of the challenges posed by human development. 1st industrial revolution, 19th It wouldn’t exist without coal and two centuries.nd 1, early 20sth A century, we would not have evolved without oil. However, these power sources have their own downsides, from the soot and smog that polluted Dickens’ London. Global warming and a plastic island oil spill at seaWhile countries and companies are working on development, alternative power supply, here and now, we need a pragmatic approach to the most immediate damage. along those lines, oil spill It remains one of the most serious environmental disasters, as evidenced by several accidents over the past few years. Now there are several ways to combat them: oil booms, chemical dispensers, absorbents such as sawdust. But nature may offer us another way of tackling this problem. salvinia moresta When Pistia.
Native to South America, these species can double in size in a matter of days and exhibit some interesting properties that have inspired scientific researchers. Specifically, it is called “superhydrophobic”. This means that it repels water very efficiently. This property can be explained by the presence of a dense network of trichomes covering the leaves at the nanoscopic level and a layer of wax crystallites covering them. Drawn a few years ago biomimicry, several researchers at the Institute of Microstructure Technology (IMT) have developed a new m3D printing material named nanofur. As the polymer layer melts, the plate retracts, pulling out millions of nanowires in the process. It’s a bit like cheese string on pizza. The material can repel water, absorb oil Like salvinia weed. However, the absorption properties of the original fern had not yet been properly tested. I found high. in this videoIn fact, the absorption process takes place in less than 30 seconds.
Analysis of several ferns showed that Salvinia’s efficiency stems from the “eggbeater” shape of its hairs, which can trap oil molecules. The findings have been reproduced in the laboratory using carbon nanotubes. Zeiger believes that these weeds could also be used directly in oil spills. This allows you to fight weed infestation on the one hand and kill two birds with one stone on the other. oil spill It can be cleaned in an environmentally friendly way. The main challenges facing researchers today are: technology Weed recovery and availability in case of oil spills.
Sponge to absorb oil spills
Another technique recently used to fight oil spill Based on a polymer developed with edible oils and sulfur. Both are waste that can be recycled for environmental purposes. It is a hydrophobic material like the nanofur mentioned earlier.Developed in Flinders University In Australia, these sponges can be spread over the water or packed into filters to pump in the oil and water mixture.
Fuentes: got science, IOP Science, ABC
