Abstract
The aim of this study is to develop an innovative membrane for separating oil-water mixtures, based on Expanded polystyrene (EPS) waste collected from food and electronic packaging and functionalised by the ionic liquid 3-hexyl-1-methyl-1 H-imidazol-3-ium Bromide [Im,Br]. Different percentages of IL were added (1%, 3%, 6%, 12%). The surface chemistry, surface morphology, wettability and emulsion separation performance of the developed membranes were investigated in detail. The fiber diameter decreased considerably after the addition of the ionic (passing from 1,09 µm to 0442µm). Surface properties showed a transition from hydrophobic to super-hydrophobic properties, as demonstrated by water contact angles ranging from 116° to 154° degrees. These results demonstrate the successful functionalization of recycled EPS-based membranes by the addition of ionic liquid, leading to surfaces that are highly capable of repelling water. This research contributes to the advancement of sustainable solutions for oil-water separation during oil spill incidents, as well as recovering EPS waste.
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