As part of a NSF supported Rapid Award, Seashell Technology, LLC (La Jolla, California), successfully developed a super-oleophilic (SOP) coating that selectively absorbs oil in marine environments while excluding water. The coating allows for efficient penetration of oil into absorbent materials while actively repelling water. When oil contacts the coated material it is immediately absorbed while water beads up and simply rolls off the surface.

The team has successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of the coating on absorbent booms tested in the Gulf of Mexico during the clean-up effort of the Deep Water Horizon oil spill. The booms survived several days in the Gulf while enduring wave action and tropical depression storms with little water penetration allowing for increased capacity to absorb oil. Under the same circumstances, uncoated absorbent booms became completely saturated with water effectively rendering the booms useless for oil absorption. During the BP oil spill clean-up effort, absorbent booms were replaced on a regular basis because uncoated booms would become soaked with water with very little oil pickup.

Seashell Technology formulates specialty coatings so that they are environmentally safe and non-toxic. The coatings are easily applied by either spraying absorbent booms or pads or by dip-coating the materials used to make absorbent materials. Seashell Technology is actively seeking to partner with boom manufacturers and other absorbent material suppliers to further commercialize these coatings.