Chinese scientists have found that common wheat bran can be useful for separating crude oil from water. Researchers were able to turn them into a kind of sponge, which separates oil from water and prevents damage to ecosystems. Research results were recently published in the Materials Chemistry Frontiers journal.
A group of researchers led by Professor Peng-Cheng Ma from the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a special substance capable of forming a gel. Biodegradable wheat bran was used as feedstock. The created material can selectively convert spills of oil and petroleum products into floating gels on the surface of the water, thereby preventing the spread of oil film and significantly facilitating the collection of hydrocarbons.
Researchers have found that the lipophilic portions of wheat bran bind oil. In addition, the hydrophilic component of this raw material, like hydroxyl groups on its surface, forms hydrogen bonds both between bran particles and water molecules. This prevents re-dispersion of adsorbed oil through the surface of the water.
The researchers call this mechanism aggregation-induced gelation, noting that the synergy of the two above-mentioned properties of wheat bran made them an ideal weapon for combating oil spills.
Source: agroxxi.ru.
