A novel composite microsphere as a highly efficient absorbent for oils and organic solvents

An oil-absorbing resin with a simple polymerization system with benzyl methacrylate as a functional monomer

To solve the problem of the low absorbency of oil-absorbing resins, oil-absorbing resins (PAMs) were fabricated in this study by introducing commercially available benzyl methacrylate (BZMA) as a functional monomer copolymerized with stearyl methacrylate (SMA) and butyl acrylate (BA). The internal network structure of the PAMs expanded more easily when absorbing oils or organic solvents after introducing rigid groups of the benzene ring by an uncomplex polymerization process, which provided the oil-absorbing resin with good absorbency. The reagents were all commercially available, and there was no other pretreatment or posttreatment process. Then, the optimum parameters for the monomer feed ratio, water/oil mass ratio, and concentrations of initiator, stabilizer and crosslinker were studied. Simultaneously, the reusability, oil retention and thermal stability of PAMs were investigated in this article. The PAMs swelled in various oils and organic solvents (the values of oil absorbency were 44.52, 56.13, 25.54, 28.21, 32.85, 24.56, 14.17, 15.02 and 29.07 g g-1 for CCl4, CHCl3, CH2Cl2, benzene, toluene, xylene, n-hexane, 0# diesel oil and 93# gasoline, respectively) and displayed good oil absorbency, which met the absorption requirements for common oils or organic solvents.

The preparation of CaCO3-polyalkoxysilane porous nanocomposites as effective sorbent for oil spill removal

The novel porous nanocomposite sorbent was synthesized by the condensation of the diol monomer with the alkoxysilane cross-linker at moderately high temperatures in the presence of nano-CaCO₃ particles. The structural, thermal, and morphological properties of the nanocomposite sorbents were determined by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), solid-state CPMAS ¹³C and ²⁹Si NMR, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Adding nano-CaCO₃ to the network structure of the polymer not only provided pores to the sorbent but also enhanced its sorption capacity towards various oils and toxic organic solvents. The nanocomposite sorbent exhibited excellent absorption capacity for different toxic organic solvents and oils and great reusability for ten cycles. Moreover, the obtained sorbent material selectively absorbed organic liquids from the surface and bottom of the water without any capacity change owing to their hydrophobicity and oleophilicity. These features of the nanocomposite make it a potential sorbent for the cleaning of oils and oil derivative organic contaminants from the environment.