Recent Advances of Polyurethane Composite Foam Materials in Oil/Water Separation Applications

Abstract

Oil/water separation is an important pursuit because of the increasing worldwide oil pollution. The key to solving this problem is to develop high-performance materials and improve their separation efficiency. Polyurethane composite foam (PUCF) possesses large specific surface area, high open porosity, and good mechanical properties which have been developed for oil/water separation. This paper mainly summarizes the research progress of PUCF materials in oil/water separation, including the surface-wetting theory, the intrinsic wetting threshold theory, the main factors affecting the separation performance of foam materials, and the recent research status of the PUCF materials in oil/water separation. Finally, we look forward to the research focus on urgent problems that should be addressed for PUCF in oil/water separation, which will provide new strategies for further developing next-generation high-performance foam materials for oil/water separation.

A hydrophobic–superoleophilic 2D Zr-based alkyne-rich metal–organic framework for oil/water separation and solar-assisted oil evaporation

“…3,4 As a result, various modified porous materials emerged as new platforms for exploring competent oil/water separator, and this research area continues unabated. 5–14 Considering oil adsorbents, materials with ‘special wettability’, referring to wetting properties with liquid contact angles above 150° or smaller than 10°, represent a novel class of aqueous-phase oil adsorbent because of their easy operation. 15 It is well-established that superhydrophobic materials exhibit water contact angle >150° while superoleophilic materials give oil contact angle <10°.…”