North Carolina State University Undergraduate Symposium





2012- 21st Annual NC State Undergraduate Research Symposium

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Session Time : 4/10/12 10:30 AM - 4/10/12 11:45 AM
Content Area : Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

Poster Appointment: , -  
Student Presenters :       
Lisa Ann D'Costa Chemical Engineering
Mentors and/or Co-Authors :
Orlin Velev Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Rachita Sharma Chemical & Biomolecular Eng
Abstract Title : Self-propelling particles for enhanced absorption of oil spills
Abstract :
Oil spills have detrimental effects to the environment and economy. The devastating effects of such spills were revealed recently during the oil spill in the Gulf Coast. In order to diminish the impact of oil spills, it is necessary to develop rapid and efficient methods of cleaning up oil on the surface of the water.This research project aims to design and characterize a new class of self-propelling particles that can absorb oil on the surface of water. These particles are composed of polyacrylamide hydrogel infused with sodium dodecyl sulfate, silicone rubber plug, and oil-absorbent. By releasing the surface-active agent they move along the water surface, collecting the oil layer encountered along their trajectories. The rate of absorption is calculated by measuring the changes in the relative intensity of the oil (dyed red) around the particle with time. The relative intensities were calculated using imaging software by analyzing the snapshots of the particles’ movement in oil-contaminated water at various times. The volume of hydrogel and absorbent are varied, while the plug volume is kept constant, to optimize the rate of oil collection by the particles.  We found that the rate of oil absorption increases as the volume of hydrogel increases. The rate of absorption for the self-propelling particles is one order of magnitude greater than stationary particle; therefore, movement is a key characteristic for particles that efficiently absorb oil on the surface of the water. In future, we plan to develop improved environmentally friendly self-propelling particles for oil collection.