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Sponge-Like "Swelling Glass" Absorbs Toxins in Water

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the hungry-like-the-sponge dept.

MikeChino writes "A company called Absorbent Materials has created a new kind of 'swelling glass' that can clean up contaminated groundwater by soaking up volatile molecules like a sponge. Dubbed 'Obsorb,' the material can hold up to 8 times its weight in fuel, oil, and solvents without sucking up any of the water itself. Once the material is full it floats to the surface and the pollutants can be skimmed off."

5 of 93 comments (clear)

  1. Spelling? by olsmeister · · Score: 5, Informative

    TFA refers to the material as Obsorb, but a linked page refers to it as Osorb.

    So which is it?

  2. Re:Skim the contaminants off the top by hadesan · · Score: 3, Informative
    Some more details on the product:
    NSF Grant to Aid in Further Development of Water Purifying Substance

    Looks somewhat legit, let's hope for their success...

  3. Re:Really short on details. by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 5, Informative

    Google is your friend. Apparently, this all centers around the use of zero-valent iron (which seems to merely be atomic iron without any binding).More info here: http://www.clu-in.org/download/remed/542-f-08-009.pdf Warning: PDF. Apparently, this is a hot topic, and Osorb isn't the only material out there using nanoZVI for cleaning purposes.

    Interesting stuff. Hadn't heard of it before.

    --
    Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
  4. Re:Is there any there, there? by iammani · · Score: 4, Informative

    Here is a slightly more informative article - http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/4701803

  5. Those are not "toxins" by Nicolas+MONNET · · Score: 3, Informative

    They may be "toxic" but they are not "toxins". Example of toxin: Botox(TM), which stands for botulic toxin. A toxin is a toxic substance created by an organism.