Innovation “Oil Absorbing Foam Technology” for Water Treatment and Oil Capture, Guaranteed with a Gold Medal from NRCT.

The innovation “Oil Absorbing Foam Technology” is made from rubber and water hyacinth to treat water and capture oil, guaranteed by a gold medal from NRCT. Two students from the Faculty of Engineering, RMUTT, invented the “Oil Absorbing Foam Technology,” made from natural rubber latex and water hyacinth. This innovative agricultural technology aims for water treatment and has the notable feature that “the rubber foam specifically captures oil and can be reused up to 50 times, and the captured oil can be repurposed.” This work guarantees a gold medal from the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT). Mr. Phopthorn Klaikhem (Name), a master’s degree student in the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, and Mr. Phrutipong Phanthamonutsopa (Den), a doctoral student in the Faculty of Engineering, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi (RMUTT), invented and developed the Oil Absorbing Foam Technology (Green Oil-Absorbing Technology), supported by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Warunee Ariyaviriyanun from RMUTT and Prof. Dr. Sanong Eksith from Chulalongkorn University as academic advisors. The innovation recently won the Gold Award in the fields of Energy, Materials, and Biochemistry at the national invention and innovation contest – Thailand New Gen Innovators Award 2024 (I-New Gen Awards 2024) organized by the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT), Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation (MHESI) at the Inventor’s Day 2024 event held at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC). Mr. Phopthorn Klaikhem explained that the beginning of the ‘Oil Absorbing Foam Technology’ innovation stemmed from recognizing environmental issues, especially oil spills into the sea and on beaches, which have acute and long-term impacts on humans, marine and terrestrial life, the environment, and the ecosystem. Therefore, researching and developing technology for oil absorption is crucial and interesting. Together, they sought materials around them to address this issue and connected with seniors in the Faculty of Engineering who were interested in materials and biochemistry. One senior had researched the extraction of nanocellulose crystals from water hyacinth, which led to consultations and collaborations to experiment and produce oil-absorbing foam from water hyacinth and natural rubber.” Mr. Phuettipong Phanthammanasopha summarized the production process of the oil-absorbing foam technology. It begins with drying water hyacinth in the sun or an oven. This dried hyacinth is then ground into fibers and cleansed through a bleaching process to turn it white. Next, the fibers are finely ground and extracted into nanocellulose crystals. These crystals are mixed with pure natural rubber latex before being molded into foam. The efficiency of this foam in absorbing oil and its reusability have been studied, with tests conducted using various types of oil.

“The highlight of this innovation is its ability to absorb only oil from a mixture of oil and water. After pressing out the oil, the foam can be reused more than 40-50 times. The captured oil can also be reused. Moreover, the developed foam is lightweight, low-cost, easy to transport, and can be molded into various shapes to suit different areas, solving multiple problems. These benefits include reducing water hyacinth weed problems and promoting wider use of natural rubber. This foam can be scaled up for commercial production,” explained the project owner.

Meanwhile, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Warunee Ariyaviriyanun, a graduate advisor in the Materials Engineering Program, added that the Faculty of Engineering’s curriculum emphasizes research that is publishable in international databases. It also encourages students to focus on innovation, with prototypes from senior students in the lab. Students are encouraged to participate in competitions at both national and international levels, focusing on practical applications of their work. This led to the creation of the oil-absorbing foam technology, which addresses various problems, especially in energy, materials, and biochemical fields. Plans are in place to scale up production and conduct real-world testing, continuously improving the foam’s properties. This innovation aims to enhance water quality to make it suitable for use. For more information, call 02 549 3400 or visit [this link] (https://www.prd.rmutt.ac.th/greenoilabsorbingtechnology/).

News details in online media as you wish.

Thairath Online : https://www.thairath.co.th/news/local/2769531
Vanguard : https://www.naewna.com/local/792464
Banmuang Online : https://www.banmuang.co.th/news/education/372475
Matichon Online : https://www.matichon.co.th/news-monitor/news_4460393
Apply now: https://tinyurl.com/2xv32fqr
Siamrath : https://siamrath.co.th/n/520462
Thai education degree: https://thaiedunews.net/rmutt-75/ , https://gooduniversity.net/rmutt-68/
Bangkok-Today : https://tinyurl.com/2c3smux9
Bizmatchingnews : https://bizmatchingnews.com/archives/39889
Brickinfotv : https://brickinfotv.com/news/226559#google_vignette
Dek-d : https://www.dek-d.com/board/knowledge/4106019/
Edupdate : https://www.edupdate.net/2024/48112/
Focus News : http://www.focusnews.in.th/28197
Mgronline : https://mgronline.com/qol/detail/9670000021421
Ryt9 : https://www.ryt9.com/s/prg/3500748
Talk Newson Line : https://www.talknewsonline.com/593411/
Techknownews : https://www.techknownews.net/2024/2078035/
Technologychaoban : https://www.technologychaoban.com/bullet-news-today/article_272168
Thaipr.net : https://www.thaipr.net/education/3451735
Ujunctionnews : http://ujunctionnews.com/archives/35807
Workpoint News : https://workpointnews.com/technology/news/N796590bdabe644cabc9669ca137692fb