Heat-Treated Micronized Polyethylene Powder for Efficient Oil/Water Separating Filters

The targeted separation of oil/water mixtures is a rapidly growing field of research, mainly due to contaminated water becoming an increasingly important environmental issue. Superhydrophobic materials are highly suited to this application; however, growing efforts are being devoted to developing applicable technologies within a range of research communities. The optimal technical solution is one that combines a high separation efficiency with a straightforward fabrication procedure at a low cost. In this report, micronized polyethylene powder has been utilized as a low-cost hydrophobic material to manufacture easy-to-fabricate filters. The effect of heating and solvent addition on the water repellence behaviour has been investigated, according to which the optimum fabrication conditions were determined. The filters show high water repellence (WCA = 154°) and efficient oil/water separation (~99%). The filters are designed to provide a readily achievable approach for the separation of oils (hydrophobic solvents) from water in a range of potential applications.