An environmentally friendly and cost-effective method to fabricate superhydrophobic PU sponge for oil/water separation

Abstract

Polyurethane (PU) sponge with extreme wettability have been studied widely for oil/water separation. However, existing techniques to fabricate the PU sponge with extreme wettability often involve using the harmful and toxic chemicals with the complex fabrication processes. Here, a facile, environmentally friendly and cost-effective method is proposed to fabricate superhydrophobic-superoleophilic cement-coated PU sponge for oil/water separation. Due to rich porous structures and good elasticity, superhydrophobic sponge exhibited high adsorption capacity for various oils/organic solvents. The separation ability was less affected by complex conditions, including UV lamp irradiation, turbulent environment and continuous separation with vacuum pump assistance. Separation efficiency of oils/corrosive aqueous solutions mixtures could reach up to 99%, which suggested that this superhydrophobic cement-coated PU sponge could be a promising candidate for oil spill cleanup on the sea.