Cherry Blossom
God knows we need to do something about these oil spills all over the Sundarbans’ and we need to do it fast!
Researchers of the Queensland University of Technology in Australia have invented a superhydrophobic fabric that attracts oil but repels water. It’s still in its development stages as a prototype with promise but we hope that it will soon go on trails and be on the market before long.
They created this unique fabric by growing semi conducting nanostructures directly on fabric. Upon testing the fabric has been successful in conducting crude oil into its structure while repelling both fresh and salt water. The fabric is nylon as it already has silver sewn into it, this is then dunked into a vat of copper using a process called electrochemical deposition, and the next step was growing nanostructures on it. The fabric not only soaks in all oil but it has antibacterial properties as well which can break down organic materials as well as kill impurities from industrial water. It can even decontaminate, which is great news for remote and poor communities suffering from water crisis. Well, we here, have our fingers crossed that this project will be taken further for the good of all.