Fabrication of diverse carbon forms and their reversed applications in hexane/water separation

Melamine foam is an important material in production and life. A series of porous carbon foams were obtained through a simple carbonization process of melamine foam at different temperatures. The carbon foams obtained at the carbonization temperature of 400 and 600 °C reveal a hydrophobic and even super-hydrophobic property (water contact angle larger than 150°) with a hexane adsorption much larger than that of melamine foam. However, the carbon foam obtained at the carbonization temperature of 800 °C reveals a super-hydrophilic property (water contact angle smaller than 5°) due to its severest shrinkage during the carbonization process. Interestingly, this series of carbon foams have an excellent performance in oil adsorption. However, the carbon membranes derived from the 800 °C carbon foam reveals oleophobicity under water (the adsorbed water at the surface was extremely important), which allows the penetration of water and blocks the infiltration of hexane at the same time. These different carbon forms have reversed applications in hexane/water separation.