Sponge Inc. Information

Sponge is a reusable, carbon based material that is super hydrophobic and oleophilic: meaning it repels water and absorbs any oil based contaminants. The multi-level porosity allows the material to absorb up to 15 times of its own weight, as well as trapping the absorbed contaminants within inner pores. The effectiveness of Sponge does not change with different salinity levels, allowing it to be used for the clean-up of all types of water. Derived from sugar, our material is affordably scalable. It can be used in powder form and potentially be produced in fiber and composite structure. Coupled with Sponge's other characteristics such as electromagnetic and thermal insulation, the flexibility of the material's form and applications makes Sponge a self-giving gift. In addition to water decontamination, Sponge proposes applications in many other industries such as naval architecture, construction, textiles, aerospace industry and household goods. Sponge team is a great example of engineering and design joining forces: Prof. Ozkans' material science and engineering lab at UC Riverside and designers at international architecture and design studio Eray/Carbajo.