Cactus Inspired Tech Separates Oil From Water
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Technology
Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Science in Beijing Separate Oil from Water by Copying the Way Cactus Needles Pull Water Out of the Dry Desert Air
Using small copper spikes, researchers were able to remove 99 percent of the oil from a mixture of oil and water.
When an oil spill happens, tiny drops of oil mix together with the ocean water.
Even though oil and water never fully mix together, they are difficult to separate.
Not all of the oil stays at the top of the water, some of it becomes denser and sinks to just below the surface.
Lei Jiang, leader of the research project, said: "We fabricated needle arrays. Each conical needle in the array is a little oil collection device. The arrays can collect micron-sized oil droplets from water continuously and effectively."
They tested the cones using different kinds of oils like vegetable oil, gasoline, and other organic solvents.
Their system turned out to be an effective way to separate oil from the water it had been mixed with.
Read More Related Content On This Topic - Click Here
Attached link
http://www.youtube.com/embed/UiyYODbgJkQTaxonomy
- Treatment
- Technology