EAGER: Novel Materials and Processes for Oil Spill Remediation

University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln NE

Investigators

Abstract

1140065 Dzenis Current methods of oil capture from water have proven inadequate in the Gulf of Mexico spill cleanup. There is a pressing need for the development of novel efficient materials and methods for capturing crude oil from water surface. An ideal material would be simultaneously hydrophobic and oleophilic, environmentally friendly, have high oil absorption capacity, and be easily deployable and collectable from water surface. No current absorbent satisfies all these requirements. It is proposed here to explore the feasibility of oil absorbing materials based on continuous nanofiber technology. Continuous nanofibers may have critical advantages to conventional absorbents and discontinuous nanomaterials in terms of efficiency, cost, and environmental and health concerns. The goal of this project is a proof-of-concept demonstration of the efficient oil collection using these materials. Several candidate materials will be screened and feasibility of nanomanufacturing of quantities of selected nanofibers will be explored and demonstrated. Their oil absorption performance will be verified and quantified. Finally, application and collection of the nanofibers from the water surface will be studied and demonstrated. This project builds on the recently funded MRI RAPID instrumentation project. The results will provide the necessary proof-of-concept for the future in-depth studies that can lead to novel superoleophilic/superhydrophobic nanofilamentary materials with revolutionary properties. As a result, this research can have significant impact on the current and future spills, particularly on the difficult long-term clean-up efforts after the initial clean-up, and can bring substantial economic benefits. Continuous nanofibers have critical advantages to other nanomaterials in terms of cost and ease of their nanomanufacturing, possibility of integrated control of their geometry, properties, and hierarchical assemblies/architectures, and elimination of health related concerns. A large number of nanofiber applications is being currently developed by academic, Federal, and industrial researchers including researchers in Nebraska. The new methods and materials developed in the course of this research will critically contribute to these developments and will assure continuing US leadership in the nanofiber research. One post-doc and several graduate and undergraduate students including minorities (funded from different sources) will receive high quality interdisciplinary research training and will be available for competitive employment. Plans for mentoring of an aspiring post-doctoral associate are also described