Oil-spill absorbant
Materials scientists from Drexel University (www.drexel.edu) and Deakin University (Melbourne, Australia; www.deakin.edu.au) have developed a new material, called a boron nitride nanosheet, that can absorb up to 33 times its weight in oils and organic solvents. Developed over two years with support from the Australian Research Council, the material is now ready to be tested by industry. According to Alfred Deakin Professor Ying Chen, the lead author of a paper recently published in Nature Communications, the material is the most exciting advancement in oil-spill-remediation technology in decades. The boron nitride nanosheets are flame resistant, which means they could also be used as a heat or electricity insulator.