Oil spills and industrial discharge into water bodies are common phenomena. Even though water and oil are immiscible, separating the two components to restore the purity of water bodies can be challenging.
To tackle this long sustained issue, researchers have developed sponges made out of wood that selectively absorb oil. These sponges are reusable.
With a spring-like lamellar structure, these sponges can be repeatedly squeezed without structural failure.
