Undergraduate Team Wins First Prize at the 17th National College Students Energy-Saving and Emission-Reduction Social Practice and Technology Competition

On August 19, 2024, the undergraduate team project titled "Born from Oil: Preparation of Photothermal Regulation Sponges and Their Application in Oil Recovery," jointly supervised by Professors Li Zhuo, Peng Kaiming, and Mao Shun, won the First Prize in the Technology Innovation category at the 17th National College Students Energy-Saving and Emission-Reduction Social Practice and Technology Competition.

The frequent occurrence of offshore oil spill accidents and the annual increase in oily wastewater discharge have resulted in environmental pollution and resource waste. This project utilizes low-cost, high-porosity melamine sponges as the substrate, which are coated with metal-organic frameworks and modified with polydimethylsiloxane. Through a simple dip-coating method, a porous, hydrophobic sponge with photothermal effects was developed to address these issues.

Tests conducted on various oil-water mixtures demonstrated the sponge’s high adsorption capacity. Under simulated sunlight, the surface temperature of the sponge can rise rapidly, effectively reducing the viscosity of heavy oil and increasing oil adsorption. The absorbed oil can be recovered simply by squeezing the sponge. Most importantly, the photothermal sponge technology does not require external energy supply during the adsorption process, reducing carbon emissions in the recovery process. This provides a green, low-carbon, and sustainable solution for oil recovery.