In this article, poly (dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) porous beads were prepared by suspension polymerization method using n-octane and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) as diluents and pore formation agents. The apparent density, porosity and other characteristics were characterized. The absorption experiments showed that the porous PDMS beads exhibited more absorption capacity and faster absorption rate toward oils than the nonporous or oligoporous PDMS beads did, moreover they are of remarkable stability and recyclability, which could provide a path to absorb the oils floating on water. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:2965-2969, 2014. (c) 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers