For the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that began in April 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico , HeiQ , TWE Group and Beyond Surface Technologies jointly developed an oil-absorbing , water-repelling , nonwoven fabric , in the name Oilguard for oil relief efforts . The product was intended for beach protection against oil spills and was applied to the shoreline . This allows for the fabric to absorb crude oil while repelling the seawater . This innovation was rewarded the Swiss Technology Award ( 2010 ) and the Swiss Award ( 2013 ) . The water-repelling property of Oilguard is achieved with a textile finishing that creates the Lotus Effect on the surface of the non-woven fabric . The non-fluorinated finishing makes the fabric only water repellent but not oil repellent , therefore the fabric absorbs oil crudes but not the seawater
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
HeiQ Materials AG