Preparation of polymer-based foam for efficient oil-water separation based on surface engineering

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Organic solvent and oil spills cause significant economic and ecological damage.
• Limited research exists on surface-engineered adsorbents for oil-water separation in complex environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a polymer-based foam with enhanced oil-water separation capabilities through surface engineering.
• To evaluate the performance of the modified foam in various pH conditions.

Main Methods:

• Surface modification of nano-sized silicon dioxide (SiO2) particles via hydrolysis and polycondensation to introduce hydrophobic groups.
• Loading modified SiO2 onto a polymer-based foam.
• Assessing changes in water contact angle and oil removal efficiency.

Main Results:

• Modified foam exhibited increased water contact angle from 116.4° to 152.5°.
• Achieved oil removal rates consistently above 96% for various oils.
• Demonstrated high adsorption capacity for petroleum diesel (33.4 g/g) and maintained performance across a wide pH range.

Conclusions:

• Surface-engineered polymer foam shows high efficiency and stability for oil-water separation.
• The material is effective in diverse pH environments, indicating broad applicability.
• Potential for large-scale organic solvent recovery and oil spill remediation.