Herein we report the synthesis and characterization of novel castor oil-based polyurethane (PU) foam functionalized with octadecyltrichlorosilane (C18)-modified diatomaceous earth (DE) particles, exhibiting superior hydrophobicity and oil adsorption, and poor water absorption, for use in effective clean-up of crude oil spillage in water bodies. High-performance and low-cost sorbents have a tremendous attraction in oil spill clean-up applications. Recent studies have focused on the use of castor oil as a significant polyol that can be used as a biodegradable and eco-friendly raw material for the synthesis of PU. However, biobased in-house synthesis of foam modified with C18-DE particles has not yet been reported. This study involves the synthesis of PU using castor oil, further modification of castor oil-based PU using C18 silane, characterization studies and elucidation of oil adsorption capacity. The FTIR analysis confirmed the fusion of C18 silane particles inside the PU skeleton by adding the new functional group, and the XRD study signified the inclusion of crystalline peaks in amorphous pristine PU foam owing to the silane cross-link structure. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated improvement in thermal stability and high residual content after chemical modification with alkyl chain moieties. The SEM and EDX analyses showed the surface’s roughness and the incorporation of inorganic and organic elements into pristine PU foam. The contact angle analysis showed increased hydrophobicity of the modified PU foams treated with C18-DE particles. The oil absorption studies showed that the C18-DE-modified PU foam, in comparison with the unmodified one, exhibited a 2.91-fold increase in the oil adsorption capacity and a 3.44-fold decrease in the water absorbing nature. From these studies, it is understood that this novel foam can be considered as a potential candidate for cleaning up oil spillage on water bodies.
This research focuses on novel synthesis of polyurethane (PU) foam surface functionalized with diatomaceous earth (DE) particles and non-fluoro octadecylsilane (C18), intended to improve the hydrophobicity and wettability of the PU foam, in order to evaluate its potential use in enhanced clean-up of oil spill contaminants from water. The modified PU foam has been characterized by scanning electron microscopy to understand the microstructural changes during the surface modifications, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to track the integration of functional groups, X-ray Crystallographic study to indicate the increase in the crystallinity of the resultant foam due to the incorporation of silane and thermogravimetric analysis to understand the thermal stability and to calculate the thermal mass loss during the chemical modification. Furthermore, to test the enhanced hydrophobicity and oil spill clearance from water, the water contact angle has been measured and crude oil absorption capacity has been tested. The results show increased water repellency attributed to the strong hydrophobicity, and about 2.13 folds of increased crude oil absorption in comparison to the unmodified PU foam. Hence, the results collectively suggest the use of the synthesized surface-modified PU foam with superior hydrophobicity, water repellence and surface wettability as a potential candidate for enhanced crude oil absorption from water bodies.
This research focuses on novel synthesis of polyurethane (PU) foam surface functionalized with diatomaceous earth (DE) particles and non-uoro octadecylsilane (C18), intended to improve the hydrophobicity and wettability of the PU foam, in order to evaluate its potential use in enhanced clean-up of oil spill contaminants from water. The modi ed PU foam has been characterized by scanning electron microscopy to understand the microstructural changes during the surface modi cations, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to track the integration of functional groups, X-ray Crystallographic study to indicate the increase in the crystallinity of the resultant foam due to the incorporation of silane and thermogravimetric analysis to understand the thermal stability and to calculate the thermal mass loss during the chemical modi cation. Furthermore, to test the enhanced hydrophobicity and oil spill clearance from water, the water contact angle has been measured and crude oil absorption capacity has been tested. The results show increased water repellency attributed to the strong hydrophobicity, and about 2.13 folds of increased crude oil absorption in comparison to the unmodi ed PU foam. Hence, the results collectively suggest the use of the synthesized surface-modi ed PU foam with superior hydrophobicity, water repellence and surface wettability as a potential candidate for enhanced crude oil absorption from water bodies.
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