Polyurethane Sponge with a Modified Specific Surface for Repeatable Oil–Water Separation

Abstract

Oil spill accidents contaminate the oceanic environment and cause economic distress, and they continue to occur. Many methods have been developed to restore waters contaminated with spilled oil. However, still most commercially available methods are not environmentally or economically sustainable solutions. Therefore, there is a need for the development of sustainable materials with running water treatment capabilities. In recent years, a polyurethane (PU) sponge-based adsorbent has been reported as an oil–water separation and reusable adsorbent. This is because the porous 3D structure of the PU sponge provides a large surface area. However, as the PU sponge has a carboxyl group and an amino group, it exhibits hydrophilicity, so surface modification is essential for oil–water separation. Therefore, to modify the surface of PU to have hydrophobic/oleophilic properties, a hydrophobic/oleophilic adsorbent (HOA) was prepared using graphite and polydimethylsiloxane. On the basis of this, a PU sponge, a porous material, was used to manufacture an adsorbent that can be used in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. The prepared HOA can selectively adsorb water or oil and can be reused. Furthermore, continuous oil–water separation is possible through a simple flow of fluid. Therefore, it is confirmed that the studied HOA can have great potential for ocean restoration in the future as an adsorbent that mitigates the disadvantages of the currently commercialized method.

Design of hydrophobic polyurethane–magnetite iron oxide-titanium dioxide nanocomposites for oil-water separation

“…PU-based materials with hydrophobic-oleophilic properties have been reported for oil−water separation. PU is a commercially available material suitable for oil-water separation applications after appropriate modifications [ [47] , [48] , [49] , [50] , [51] ]. As the wettability is controlled by the surface roughness and structure, thus the hydrophobic and magnetic materials (TiO 2 and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles) introduced hydrophobic properties in the nanocomposite by modification of surface roughness and structure of the nanocomposite ( Fig.…”

Oxygen vacancy enhanced catalytic activity in a Pt nanoparticle decorated GO–CexOycatalyst for the efficient synthesis of pyran based derivatives

“…The yield of the product increased moderately with water, ethanol and methanol but with dimethyl formamide and acetone, the activity is reduced to a small extent as they are polar aprotic solvents and unable to form intermolecular hydrogen bonds with reactant molecules. 79,80…”

A multifunctional non‐fluorinated flame retardant superhydrophobic 3‐D porous material for highly selective oil spill treatment and removal of dyes

“…In the olden days, the ocean was unconquerable but with the growth of technology, the ocean has become a port for global trade and a scaffold for further human advancement. 1 However, numerous oil spill catastrophes have resulted in severe environmental pollution and have therefore become a global concern in recent years. [2][3][4] Toxic chemicals in oily wastewater not only endanger aquatic creatures but also have a substantial impact on human health.…”