Super Material Soaks Up Crude Oil

From Discovery News - Top Stories:

Finally, a glimmer of hope: A unique material created by a professor at Texas Tech University is proving that it can successfully trap crude oil and absorb the toxic vapors that the oil gives off. The material, called Fibertect, was developed by Seshadri Ramkumar, an associate professor of nonwoven technologies at the university's Institute of Environment and Human Health. Top and bottom layers are made from raw cotton to absorb the oil and the center consists of a fibrous activated carbon where the oil gets contained, according to a description from the university. The material, which is biodegradable on its own, can absorb up to 15 times its weight.

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