Skip to footer

Turning oil slicks at sea into harmless rubber goo

  • By WITH ANALYSIS FROM MONITOR CORRESPONDENTS AROUND THE WORLD
  • EDITED BY RANDY SHIPP

| London

Oil slicks threatening coastlines and wildlife could in the future be turned into wads of rubber and scooped up in nets. Scientists with BP (British Petroleum) say they have successfully treated all kinds of oil this way and hope the treatment can be widely available by the end of next year.

The technique involves spraying the oil slick with an artificial liquid rubber chemical and a curing agent, which dissolve the oil and form a sponge whose microscopic three-dimension al structure holds the oil.

You've read 3 of 3 free articles. Subscribe to continue.
QR Code to Turning oil slicks at sea into harmless rubber goo
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/1981/0702/070226.html
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe
CSM logo

Why is Christian Science in our name?

Our name is about honesty. The Monitor is owned by The Christian Science Church, and we’ve always been transparent about that.

The Church publishes the Monitor because it sees good journalism as vital to progress in the world. Since 1908, we’ve aimed “to injure no man, but to bless all mankind,” as our founder, Mary Baker Eddy, put it.

Here, you’ll find award-winning journalism not driven by commercial influences – a news organization that takes seriously its mission to uplift the world by seeking solutions and finding reasons for credible hope.

Explore values journalism About us