Beijing, Dec 19 (PTI) Scientists in China have developedan artificial sponge that can separate oil and water and canbe used for treating water contaminated by industrial sewage,a media report said today.
The porous material is made with nano-crystallinecellulose and graphene composite and has high absorptioncapacity.
"It is 97 per cent effective in separating water andoil," Liu Dongyan, a researcher with the Institute of MetalResearch under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was quoted assaying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
A paper on the research undertaken by the institute basedin Shenyang, capital of north China's Liaoning Province, waspublished in the latest issue of the international journalAdvanced Materials Interfaces.
Liu said that industrial sewage contains various oils andorganic components that becomes ecologically hazardous oncemixed with water.
The new material provides a low-cost industrial sewagetreatment solution, she added.
Liu said that the base material of the polyurethanesponge is cost-effective.
Only the small amount of graphene, in the coating, isexpensive. However, with the increase in production ofgraphene in China, the price would gradually come down sheadded. PTI KJV SMJSMJ.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.