Abstract
A novel composite material for the efficient separation of oil from water is presented. It is based on polyurethane (PU) foams modified with colloidal superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) in their whole volume and sub-micrometer polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) particles on their surface. The hydrophobic and oleophobic original foam becomes water-repellent and oil-absorbing due to the presence of the PTFE particles on its surface. The oil absorption rate is significantly increased by the presence of the colloidal iron oxide NPs. Detailed analysis demonstrates that the NP capping molecules play a significant role in the oil absorption mechanism. Furthermore, the treated foams can be magnetically actuated, and be moved towards oil polluted waters by a weak magnet. As a result, they can absorb the oil contaminants from the water surface, purifying it.
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