“Poly (sulfur/oil) impregnated cotton: A newly developed material for effective oil removal from contaminated water”

Abstract

In this work, a unique material has been developed by carrying out in situ copolymerization of sulfur and triglycerides (edible oil) within the cotton fibers to yield poly (sulfur/oil) impregnated cotton (PSOIC) composite material. The adsorbent was characterized by Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, and SEM analysis. The equilibrium oil uptake studies were carried out in batch mode experiments and the sorption data were analyzed by various sorption isotherm models. The Langmuir model was found to be best fitted with maximum oil sorption capacity Q o of 9.52 g/g polymer. On the contrary, the conventional poly (sulfur/oil) adsorbent showed a Q o value of 2.35 g/g polymer, thus indicating the suitability and superiority of PSOIC over PSO material. The newly developed PSOIC material could be pressed in the form of sheets and was successful in removing oil/grease layer from the oil/water mixture. The adsorbent showed fair re-generation capacity, thus minimizing the cost effectiveness to employ in large-scale removal processes.

One-Step Preparation of Robust Superhydrophobic Foam for Oil/Water Separation by Pulse Electrodeposition

“…The interaction between surface roughness and low surface energy substances is the essence of the preparation of superhydrophobic materials, which can be fabricated by physical and chemical methods. Some superhydrophobic materials currently used in oil/water separation mainly include polymer film, cotton, two-dimensional metal mesh, , etc. The weaknesses of these materials are poor mechanical stability, poor cycle performance, weak corrosion resistance, small vertical space, and the ease with which the adsorption layer can fall off and cause secondary pollution, which makes it unlikely to continue to be used in oil/water separation.…”