A Review on Oil/Water Mixture Separation Material

Pore wettability for enhanced oil recovery, contaminant adsorption and oil/water separation: A review

Wettability, a fundamental property of porous surface, occupies a pivotal position in the fields of enhanced oil recovery, organic contaminant adsorption and oil/water separation. In this review, wettability and the related applications are systematically expounded from the perspectives of hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity and super-wettability. Four common measurement methods are generalized and categorized into contact angle method and ratio method, and influencing factors (temperature, the type and layer charge of matrix, the species and structure of modifier) as well as their corresponding altering methods (inorganic, organic and thermal modification etc.) of wettability are overviewed. Different roles of wettability alteration in enhanced oil recovery, organic contaminant adsorption as well as oil/water separation are summarized. Among these applications, firstly, the hydrophilic alteration plays a key role in recovery of the oil production process; secondly, hydrophobic circumstance of surface drives the organic pollutant adsorption more effectually; finally, super-wetting property of matrix ensures the high-efficient separation of oil from water. This review also identifies importance, challenges and future prospects of wettability alteration, and as a result, furnishes the essential guidance for selection and design inspiration of the wettability modification, and supports the further development of pore wettability application.

Strongly Hydrophobic and Superoleophilic PMMA Based Nanocoated Cotton Fabrics

Oil–water separation is among the critical issues worldwide due to recent massive oil spills. Moreover, domestic and industrial water pollution due to oil discharge affects marine and aquatic life. Cotton is the most predominant fiber globally because of its use as a principal and popular clothing material. Cotton is also the leading raw material for technical and functional textile applications. In this study, the fabric was cured with poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanoparticles to develop hydrophobic and oleophilic cotton fabrics. The dehydrating agents, N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) and dimethyl aminopyridine (DMAP), were used to catalyze the esterification. The results proved that the excellent hydrophobicity of modified cotton fabric provides a water contact angle higher than 140°. In addition, Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, as well as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, confirmed the fabric surface modification. Surface morphological analysis by scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed the uniform rough surface structure of the modified fabric with nano-coating. The modified fabric resulted in the high separation efficiency of oil and water, suggesting this strategy to be suitable for advanced oil–water separation.