MILWAUKEE In a development arising from nanotechnology research, scientists in Madison, Wis., have created a spongelike material that could provide a novel and sustainable way to clean up oil spills.

Its known as an aerogel, but it could just as well be called a smart sponge.

To demonstrate how it works, researchers add a small amount of red dye to diesel, making the fuel stand out in a glass of water. The aerogel is dipped in the glass and within minutes, the sponge has soaked up the diesel. The aerogel is now red, and the glass of water is clear.

It was very effective, said Shaoqin Sarah Gong, who runs a biotechnology-nanotechnology lab at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery in Madison.

So if you had an oil spill, for example, the idea is you could throw this aerogel sheet in the water and it would start to absorb the oil very quickly and efficiently, said Gong, a University of Wisconsin-Madison associate professor of biomedical engineering. Once its fully saturated, you can take it out and squeeze out all the oil.

The materials absorbing capacity is reduced somewhat after each use, but the product can be reused for a couple of cycles, Gong said.

Researchers in Madison have patented their aerogel technology and are now seeking paper or petroleum industry partners to collaborate or fund research to test it on a larger scale.

Details of the aerogel discovery were published last month in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A. Researchers say the product has the potential to help reduce water pollution that leads to water shortages around the world.

The aerogel absorption technology is the result of a collaboration between the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery and a nanotechnology pilot plant established two years ago at the U.S. Department of Agricultures Forest Products Lab in Madison.

At the nanotech lab, researchers are working to develop new uses for wood that could provide a boon to Wisconsins paper industry by finding new markets for forest products.

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Oil spill cleanup by sponge: Wisconsin scientists tout tidy technology