(Press-News.org) Oil spills and oily industrial wastewater are a nightmare for factories, the environment, and public health. Separating oil from water might sound simple, but in reality it's one of the toughest jobs in wastewater treatment—especially when the mixture contains oils of different densities, tiny droplets, or sticky contaminants. Traditional membrane filters often clog, slow down, and lose efficiency over time.
In International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, a research team has developed an organic hydrogel surface can instantly recognize whether it is in contact with oil or water—and switch its behavior to let the right liquid pass through while blocking the other.
When exposed to water, the surface becomes superhydrophilic (water-loving) and underwater superoleophobic (oil-repelling), allowing clean water to flow through while stopping oil. While in oil, it flips to superoleophilic (oil-loving) and underoil superhydrophobic (water-repelling), letting oil pass while holding back water.
This "smart" surface, created by combining laser-etched micro–nano structures with a special dual-component organic hydrogel coating, achieves a record-breaking separation speed of 17,750 liters per square meter per hour. That's three to five times faster than most current membranes, with over 99% efficiency even after repeated use without cleaning. Its antifouling ability means it can keep working for long cycles without losing performance.
Their innovation tackles three problems that have long frustrated engineers: membrane clogging and fouling during operation, weak responsiveness in existing "smart" materials, and poor performance with complex oil mixtures containing both light and heavy oils.
The potential impact is huge—from factories treating oily wastewater on-site to emergency clean-up after oil spills. The team is already working on versions that can withstand extreme pH conditions, handle difficult emulsions, and be produced on a large scale for industrial use.
"This is not just another filter; it's an intelligent surface that works on demand," the researchers say. "It could change the way industries think about wastewater treatment."
International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing (IJEM, IF: 21.3) is dedicated to publishing the best advanced manufacturing research with extreme dimensions to address both the fundamental scientific challenges and significant engineering needs.
Maintain #1 in Engineering, Manufacturing for consecutive years
Average time to First Decision after Peer Review: 34 days
Open Access Publishing with APC Waivers
Visit our webpage, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
END
Smarter hydrogel surface achieves 5× faster oil–water separation
2025-08-19
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Novel unsymmetrical molecule produces perfect photocatalyst potential
2025-08-19
Osaka, Japan – Life as we know it is based on organic molecules. In these molecules, carbon and hydrogen atoms are linked into a fascinating array of structures, such as chains or rings. One special class of organic molecules, hetero[8]circulenes, can behave in interesting ways because of their ring of eight atoms, and have many applications, including electronic devices responsible for controlling and detecting light.
However, creating these molecules through planned chemical reactions, or the synthetic route, ...
Takotsubo Syndrome: The hidden heart risks in Intensive Care Units
2025-08-19
It’s often mistaken for a heart attack, but Takotsubo cardiomyopathy – previously known as Broken Heart syndrome – is a serious and sometimes fatal heart condition increasingly reported in intensive care units (ICUs). Yet without a clear clinical pathway in ICUs, it’s often missed, putting critically ill patients at risk.
New research from the University of South Australia shows that using electrocardiogram (ECG) patterns and blood markers could provide an early warning system for Takotsubo Syndrome in ICU patients.
The review highlights how critical care nurses with advanced ECG skills can play a key role in recognising early signs of the condition ...
Charting the evolution of life through the ancient chaetognath
2025-08-19
One of the stranger forms of life on our planet is the tiny, torpedo-shaped chaetognath, which roams the seas on the hunt for small crustaceans. These predators are named after the chitinous grasping spines surrounding their mouth (Greek: “chaite”, bristle, and “gnathos”, jaw), and are also known as arrow worms.
Despite their ubiquity in the world’s oceans, the evolutionary origin of this unique lifeform has long baffled biologists – Charles Darwin himself noted their “obscurity of affinities” in 1844. Notably, the worm has characteristics of both protostomes, which include ...
Two genomes are better than one for studying reptile sex
2025-08-19
Today marks the publication by two different studies presenting the near-complete reference genomes of the central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps), a widely distributed species of dragon lizard common in central eastern Australia and popular as pets in Europe, Asia, and North America. This species has an unusual trait for an animal species: whether this lizard grows up to be a male or a female depends not only on genetics but also on the temperature of its nest. This has long made it a useful model to study the ...
Is your health care provider really listening to you?
2025-08-18
When you visit a doctor, you expect them to listen. But in today’s fast-paced health care system, real listening — the kind that makes you feel seen, heard and understood — can be the first thing to go.
A new article, co-authored by Dr. Leonard Berry of Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School, argues that listening isn’t just a nice gesture, it’s a powerful tool that can improve your care and even help heal the health care system itself.
Berry and colleagues at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Boston and Henry Ford Health Detroit published their findings in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
The Case ...
Mary Jo Pugh earns national Outstanding Research Accomplishment Award for uncovering long-term consequences of TBI
2025-08-18
Nearly one in five U.S. veterans have experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI), mostly in the form of a concussion. Now, the full long-term health consequences of TBI are starting to be uncovered, thanks in large part to the work of Mary Jo Pugh, PhD, RN, professor of epidemiology at University of Utah Health and investigator with the Informatics, Decision-Enhancement and Analytical Sciences (IDEAS) Center of Innovation at the VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System.
On August 4, Pugh won an Outstanding Research Accomplishment award at ...
Ochsner Children’s performs first robotic-assisted pediatric spine surgery in Louisiana
2025-08-18
NEW ORLEANS – Ochsner Children’s has achieved a major milestone by performing the first robotic-assisted pediatric spine deformity surgery in Louisiana and the Gulf South. This recently completed procedure represents a significant step forward in patient safety and precision reaffirming Ochsner Children’s leadership in innovative pediatric orthopedic care.
The procedure was performed by Ochsner Children’s pediatric orthopedic surgeons, Ryan Farmer, MD and Lawrence Haber, ...
U. Iowa research identifies promising new target for treating rare, aggressive childhood cancer
2025-08-18
A new study delving into the genetic drivers of a rare and aggressive childhood cancer called Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor (MPNST) has revealed metabolic frailties in the cancer cells that might be exploited to improved treatments for patients.
MPNST is a rare and deadly childhood cancer, which mainly affects teenagers and young adults. These tumors grow quickly, spread easily, and don’t respond well to current treatments. Metastasis is the leading cause of death in MPNST and there currently are no targeted ...
North Pacific waters are acidifying more rapidly below the surface
2025-08-18
Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere enters the ocean at the surface and has been increasing the acidity of Pacific waters since the beginning of the industrial revolution over 200 years ago. A new study, led by University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa oceanographers, revealed that the ocean is acidifying even more rapidly below the surface in the open waters of the North Pacific near Hawai‘i. Their discovery was published recently in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans.
“Ocean ...
Researchers find intensive blood pressure targets are cost-effective
2025-08-18
Research led by investigators at Mass General Brigham suggests that the health benefits of more aggressive blood pressure control outweigh concerns about overtreating people with high blood pressure readings. Results of the simulation study are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
The study used data from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) trial, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), and other published literature to simulate lifetime health outcomes—including heart attack, stroke, and heart failure—for patients whose systolic blood pressure targets were set at <120 mm Hg, <130 mm Hg, and <140 mm Hg. Recognizing ...