14 DAY TRIAL // During the International Conference on Magnetic Fluids, to be held in January 2013, a team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will present a new method of separating oil from water after spills, which enables the recovered oil to be used as if it were new.
This approach will significantly offset the costs associated with the complicated cleanup procedures currently in use. The oil will literally be pulled out of the water, stored, and then processed as it would normally be.
The entire approach – for which two patents have already been submitted – relies on dropping water-repellent ferrous nanoparticles over affected areas, and then using magnets to pull the oil aboard ships.
To top it all off, the nanoparticles are reusable. A magnet can also be used to remove them from the recovered oil, allowing for a prolonged life span, and additional savings.