Cotton offers a new ecologically friendly way to clean up oil spills
May 15, 2013
By: PHYSORG
PHYSORG - Seshadri Ramkumar and colleagues note that a particular need exists for
oil-spill sorbents that are abundantly available at relatively low cost, sustainable
and biodegradable.
Seshadri Ramkumar and colleagues note that a particular need exists for
oil-spill sorbents that are abundantly available at relatively low cost, sustainable
and biodegradable. There have been extensive studies on fibers such as barley straw,
kapok and wool—but big gaps in knowledge about their basic crude oil-uptake mechanisms
and no data on unprocessed raw cotton. Ramkumar's team decided to fill those gaps
with research on the oil sorption properties of low micronaire cotton, a form of unprocessed
cotton with relatively less commercial value.
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