Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) College of Engineering, Department of Organic Materials and Textile Engineering master's student Choi Young-min (supervisor Professor Nam Chang-woo) has proposed a next-generation remediation technology for large-scale marine oil spills. The study has been accepted for publication in the international energy and environment journal Energy & Environmental Materials (Impact Factor 14.1, JCR Top 7%).

The paper, titled ‘Sprayable Polyolefin Sorbents Enabled by Bio-Solvents for Large Scale Oil and Chemical Spill Recovery,’ has attracted attention for presenting a new approach that can overcome the limitations of existing remediation technologies.

Conventional oil spill response has mainly involved physically deploying sorbent pads, which limits rapid response over wide sea areas. In contrast, this study implements a technique that sprays the material onto contaminated waters, enabling treatment of large areas simultaneously and substantially improving response efficiency.

In particular, the developed sorbent forms a film on the oil surface immediately after spraying, effectively capturing the oil. Its fluorescent properties allow visual confirmation of contamination extent at night. It is also magnetic for easy recovery and is designed to form stable films under various environmental conditions by exploiting the volatility of eco-friendly bio-solvents, securing applicability to real marine environments.

This technology can be applied not only to marine oil spills but also to the remediation of hazardous and noxious substances (HNS), offering potential for broader application in environmental disaster response.

Choi Young-min said, “It is meaningful to achieve a significant research outcome as I approach graduation. I would like to continue conducting valuable research in a doctoral program.” He added, “I am grateful to Professor Nam Chang-woo for mentoring me since my undergraduate research days.”

The corresponding author, Professor Nam Chang-woo, stated, “This study is significant in that it complements the limitations of existing remediation technologies and suggests a new direction. I expect Choi Young-min to continue to grow into an outstanding researcher.”

Meanwhile, Choi Young-min previously published a first-author paper in the Chemical Engineering Journal in 2025 (Impact Factor 13.2, JCR Top 3%) and plans to pursue a doctoral program at UNIST. This research was conducted with support from the Korea Institute of Marine Science and Technology Promotion and the National Research Foundation of Korea.