Selective Oil-water Separation Research Articles

Special wettable cotton-containing hybrid composite for heavy oil absorption and light oil resistance in underwater atmosphere

By utilizing the gel reaction between dipentaerythritol penta-/hexa-acrylate (5Acl) and branched polyethylenimine (BPEI), the self-made carboxymethylated cotton fibers, chitosan (CTS), and calcium chloride (CaCl2) were simply blended in this reacting system, then only depending on gelation at room temperature, the special wettable cotton-containing hybrid composite was constructed, meanwhile dispensing with any reactive activator. When ambient atmosphere was in underwater condition, heavy oil absorption and light oil resistance of the water-wetted cotton-containing hybrid composite was displayed in the water environment, and which was radically different from the majority of the currently found superwetting phenomena. Based on this, the removal of subaqueous heavy oil was carried out by using this composite product, simultaneously getting rid of water under light oil was also implemented via its water-pretreated state, therefore by just prewetting the mentioned composite, or not, in water, the selective separation for immiscible oil-water mixture could be successfully realized, whether in oil-removing or water-removing filtering separation, its fluxes and efficiencies were higher than 3500 L/m2·h and 96%; from the perspective of difficult or easy degree of such application implementation, simpleness, easiness, adaptability and reliability for the special wettable cotton-containing hybrid composite had advantage over in selective oil-water separation. Beyond that, this unique composite also had a satisfactory capacity to separate of oil-in-water emulsion (flux: 4229.93 L/m2·h, efficiency: 99.71%).

A Robust Superhydrophobic Polyurethane Sponge Loaded with Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Efficient and Selective Oil-Water Separation.

The influence of different coupling agents and coupling times on the wettability of a polyurethane (PU) sponge surface were optimized. Octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) was selected as the optimal coupling agent to prepare the superhydrophobic sponge. The superhydrophobic sponge was prepared in one step, which has the advantages of simple operation and enhanced durability. The superhydrophobic sponge was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Teclis Tracker tensiometry, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrophotometry. The water contact angle increased from 64.1° to 151.3°, exhibiting ideal superhydrophobicity. Oils and organic solvents with different viscosities and densities can be rapidly and selectively absorbed by superhydrophobic sponges, with an absorption capacity of 14.99 to 86.53 times the weight of the sponge itself, without absorbing any water. Since temperature affects the viscosity and ionic strength of oil, and influences the surface wettability of the sponges, the effect of temperature and ionic strength on the oil absorption capacity of the superhydrophobic sponges was measured, and its mechanism was elucidated. The results showed that the absorptive capacity retained more than 90% of the initial absorptive capacity after repeated use for 10 times. Low-cost, durable superhydrophobic sponges show great potential for large-scale oil-water separation.

Polydimethylsiloxane-decorated magnetic cellulose nanofiber composite for highly efficient oil-water separation

Developing three-dimensional porous hydrophobic and oleophilic materials (3D-PHOMs) for efficient and selective oil-water separation is important to clean up oil spills and organic pollutants. However, 3D-PHOMs are still confined to lab-scale research due to several crucial drawbacks. Herein, a hydrophobic oil-water separation composite, containing cellulose nanofiber (delignificated porous wood, PW) substrate, magnetic nickel (Ni) layer and hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coating, is prepared using electroless deposition (ELD) and surface modification techniques. Owing to the porosity, hydrophobicity (>130° of water contact angle), lipophilicity, convenient magnetic collection and high cycle compressibility, the as-fabricated PDMS-Ni-PW exhibits excellent oil adsorption capacity (>60% of the volumetric absorption capacity) and outstanding cyclic stability (>80% of the adsorption capacity after 200 cycles). Thanks to the low surface energy and rough surface structure, the adsorbent demonstrates superior oil-retention ability (>80% at 200 rpm). Also, the oil-collecting apparatus is successfully designed to continuously separate various oils, e.g., n-hexane and dichloromethane, from water due to the unidirectional liquid transport of the adsorbent. These excellent properties make PDMS-modified cellulose nanofiber a promising candidate for oil-water separation.

Analysis of Superhydrophobic-Superoleophilic Properties on Modification of Polyurethane Sponge for Selective Oil-Water Separation

In this research, a modification of polyurethane (PU) sponge material has been made to obtain superhydrophobic-superoleophilic properties. The PU sponge was coated with several nanomaterials such as ZnO, Fe3O4+TEOS, and stearic acid by dip-coating and drop-coating methods. The tests include selective separation of oil and water with a magnetic response. Several types of oil and organic solvents were tested for absorption capacity. The results showed that the PU@ZnO@Fe3O4@SA sponge has a good absorption capacity, from 4.37 mL to 7.37 mL. The fabricated PU sponge could selectively separate oil from water with a separation efficiency above 99%. The fabricated PU sponge also could be magnetically driven by external magnetic fields. From the characterization using 3D OM, the water contact angle was 153.38°, which indicates that the PU@ZnO@Fe3O4@SA sponge is superhydrophobic. And from surface morphology obtained an average pore size diameter of 167.475 μm.

Graphene-bentonite supported free-standing, flexible membrane with switchable wettability for selective oil–water separation

In this work, we synthesized a novel, free-standing, flexible sodium-bentonite-fabricated graphene (SBG) composite membrane. The prepared SBG membrane was successfully employed for the selective separation of oil and water. SBG-fabricated filter paper and cotton cloth membranes were easily prepared using simple vacuum filtration and coating methods. The SBG composite membrane exhibited switchable wettability properties, which rendered it capable of switching the surface into either hydrophilic/oleophobic or hydrophobic/oleophilic with the selective treatment of water or oil/organic solvent, respectively. The prepared SBG composite was characterized using X-ray diffraction, thermo-gravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The as-prepared membrane has high efficiency (>98%) to separate oil–water mixtures, a good recyclability (96% efficiency after 10 cycles), a high flux of 625 Lm−2h−1, and a good oil rejection ratio (>97%). The SBG composite can easily be scaled to separate the oil–water mixture for industrial applications. Furthermore, the advantages of the membrane are its easy preparation, self-cleaning property, switchable wettability property (hydrophilic/oleophobic to hydrophobic/oleophilic and vice versa), high flux and excellent recyclability for the selective separation of oil/organic solvents and water from their mixtures.

Design, fabrication, and characterization of a facile superhydrophobic and superoleophilic mesh-based membrane for selective oil-water separation

Superhydrophobic and superoleophilic (SHSO) membranes have found great attention in oil–water separation application. We fabricate a SHSO stainless steel mesh-based membrane, using a facile one-stage dip-coating technique, and investigate the effects of silane alkyl chain size, and ratio of micro-to-nanoparticles in the coating solid fraction. Silane compounds with short- and long-alkyl functional chains (Dynasylan® Sivo 408 and Dynasylan® F8261, respectively) are used as surface energy modifiers. To create hierarchical morphology, Aerosil® R812 and SIPERNAT® D13 are employed as the nano and microparticles, respectively. The long-silane features a higher water contact angle (WCA) at all solid compositions. Increasing the ratio of nano-to-microparticles increases the WCA with long-chain silane. Maximum WCAs = 165.8° and 164.2° are attained with the long and short silanes, respectively, when the coating solid is composed of 75 wt% nanoparticles and 25 wt% microparticles. Increasing the concentration of nanoparticles to 100% decreases hydrophobicity, which is more pronounced for the short-chain silane. The WCA decreases to 163.8° and 155.5° for the coating solutions containing the long and short silanes, respectively, with 100% nanoparticles to modify the surface roughness. Flower-like hierarchical roughness structures are observed using the coating solution of silanes with only nanoparticles. The average pore opening for the mesh decreases from 76 µm in the bare mesh to 48 µm for the coated mesh. Analytical surface characterization results (e.g., sliding angle, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)) confirm the SHSO features of the as-prepared mesh. Except for the exposure to 1.0 M NaOH solution, the membranes are stable (WCA > 145°) in H2SO4, NaOH, and NaCl concentrated solutions over four weeks. Using the fabricated mesh, the macroscopic separation efficiency of kerosene from water is >99%. The membrane fabrication strategy proposed in this study further highlights the importance of the SHSO wetting condition in the effective treatment of oily wastewater streams in a variety of food, chemical, and energy industries.

A mechanically robust copper mesh with switchable wettability and antibacterial activity for selective oil–water separation

With the continuous improvement in living standards, the discharge of oily sewage in daily life and industry has gradually increased, causing considerable damage to the environment and also great inconvenience to people. Traditional treatment methods cannot meet the increasing demand for sewage treatment, so more efficient treatment methods need to be studied. Research on oil–water separation materials is gradually becoming intelligent, but most of these intelligent materials cannot solve the problem of bacterial growth on the surface, new antibacterial and hydrophobic materials need to be studied. Here, an inexpensive and simple method is presented to prepare an antibacterial copper mesh with pH‐responsive wettability between hydrophilic and hydrophobic. First, a copper mesh with a rough surface was prepared by an oxidation method, and then the oxidized copper mesh was immersed in the prepared coating solution of stearate (SA)‐TiO2 to obtain a superhydrophobic copper mesh. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that the modified copper mesh changed from the original smooth surface to a rough surface covered with needle‐like nano‐oxide wires. The SA‐TiO2‐coated copper mesh (STCM) has good separation efficiency (about 97%) and separation flux (about 1.1 × 105 L·m−2·h−1) for the immiscible oil–water mixture, the separation efficiency remained basically unchanged (about 97%) after 15 separation cycles, and the wettability of this can be changed by soaking in an alkaline solution at a specific pH (from 12 to 14). In addition, the prepared STCM showed good antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. This preparation strategy of STCM provides a low‐cost and facile method for wastewater treatment in practical applications.

MWCNTs polyurethane sponges with enhanced super-hydrophobicity for selective oil–water separation

ABSTRACTIn this work, long-chain hexadecyl siloxane groups were introduced into hydroxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-OH) to obtain modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with super-hydrophobic characteristics. A novel super-hydrophobic/super-oleophilic polyurethane sponge (SH-MWCNTs@PU sponges) was achieved by performing further surface-modification with the super-hydrophobic CNTs via the immersion-coating process. The results showed that SH-MWCNTs@PU sponges exhibited excellent super-hydrophobic properties, with a water contact angle of 157.4 ± 1.1°, and water droplets roll-off angle of only 6.7°. In addition, its mechanical strength was greatly improved by the introduction of CNTs. Significantly, it exhibits excellent adsorption capability for different oils and organic solvents. The initial oil adsorption capacity is still maintained with a contact angle of 152.2° after 10 oil adsorption cycles, demonstrating good reusability of the SH-MWCNTs@PU sponges. The low-cost (the used MWCNTs-OH are industrial-grade), durable, and super-hydrophobic sponge is a promising material for oil–water separation with high efficiency and selectivity.

Robust Janus nanocomposite membrane with opposing surface wettability for selective oil-water separation

A robust and facile strategy were facilitated to generate a Janus nanocomposite membrane showcasing asymmetric oil and water separation capability. The Janus membrane architecture was governed by incorporating organosilane functionalized carbon nanotubes (f-CNT) layer onto the crosslinked hydrophilic electrospun polyvinyl alcohol (c-PVA) membrane through simple vacuum filtration. The functionalization of fluorine-bearing 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluoroctyltriethoxysilane (PFOTS) onto the CNT led to the increase in the hydrophobicity of the interface. This technique induced the CNT decorated surface to effectively separate water-in-oil emulsions. The integration of the PFOTS onto the CNT deposition not only enhanced the interfacial hydrophobicity but also assisted the linking compatibility between CNT and the c-PVA membrane which can be accounted onto the robust mechanical stability of the designed Janus membrane. Moreover, the utilization of free standing PVA on emulsion separation had not been explored in any publication. The hydrophilic nature, crosslinking modification and highly porous network of the fabricated c-PVA membrane makes it ideal for oil-in-water separation. The obtained asymmetric Janus membrane demonstrated an excellent oil and water selectivity from various emulsions which makes the Janus membrane promising on several applications.

Superhydrophobic Surfaces with pH-Induced Switchable Wettability for Oil-Water Separation.

The oily wastewater generated in the industrial field is adversely affecting the environment, while the current methods for oil–water separation are complex and costly. Therefore, it is significant to use low cost and environmentally friendly materials to prepare a smart responsive superhydrophobic coating for the effective separation of oil–water mixtures. In this paper, a fluorine-free copolymer with pH responsiveness was fabricated by a solution impregnation method, and it was compounded by silica nanoparticles/polydimethylsiloxane to prepare a superhydrophobic coating on the paper and cotton fabric. The prepared superhydrophobic coating remained in the superhydrophobic state after the alkali treatment, while it would be converted into the hydrophilic state after the acid treatment. Therefore, the pH-responsive superhydrophobic coating will be applied in controlled selective oil–water separation.

Janus‐Type Hybrid Paper Membranes

AbstractFunctional paper‐based materials and devices have been increasingly attractive to scientists in the recent past. In particular, the possibility to functionalize the surface of paper fibers with tailor‐made coatings has broadened a possible scope of emerging application considerably. This work introduces novel functional paper membranes with adjustable gradient and Janus‐type wettability based on gradient and Janus‐type silica coating distribution along the paper cross‐section. Correlation of CLSM (distribution), thermogravimetric analysis (silica amount), and Kr‐BET (surface area; BET: Brunauer–Emmett–Teller) reveals an extremely low coating thickness, in the range of just a few nanometers, being sufficient to fully inverse paper wettability from hydrophilic to very hydrophobic excluding water. This asymmetric wettability, originating from an asymmetric silica distribution along the paper cross‐section, is established by synchronizing silane hydrolysis and condensation reaction rates with silane transport rates in paper within a simple and scalable one‐step drying process after having immersed a paper sheet into a tetraethoxysilane‐containing precursor solution. As silica by itself, like paper, is a hydrophilic material, the observed hydrophobicity is related to a reduction in cellulose fiber nanoscale porosity controlling water imbibition. While being relevant in manifold applications, these ultrathin, Janus‐type hybrid paper membranes are demonstrated to show directed gating and selective oil–water separation.

3D hierarchical MnO2 aerogels with superhydrophobicity for selective oil–water separation

Inorganic nanowire aerogel with low density, high specific surface area and high porosity has received increasing attention in the field of materials physics and chemistry because of not only the unique structural and physical features of metallic oxide but also low cost, environmental friendliness and earth abundant of precursor materials. In this work, MnO2 nanowire aerogels (MNA) with ultralow density, and stable 3D hierarchical structures was successfully fabricated by freeze‐drying processes using MnO2 nanowire as building blocks. The length of MnO2 nanowires exceeds 100 μm, making it easier to cross‐link and self‐assemble into a 3D network of aerogels, and the acid and alkali resistance of MnO2 enables it to adapt to extreme environments. Simultaneously, the monodispersed MnO2 nanowire was prepared by the hydrothermal method, followed by acid treatment. To obtain superhydrophobic properties and achieve selective oil adsorption, the surfaces of nanowire aerogels were grafted the hydrophobic groups with low surface energy via vapor deposition. It is indicated that the obtained 3D hierarchical MNA show both superhydrophobic and super‐lipophilic properties simultaneously with a high‐water contact angle of 156° ± 2° and an oil contact angle of 0°. And the MNA exhibited a high oil adsorption capacity of 85–140 g/g, thereby indicating its potential applications in oil/water separation. More importantly, the resulting MNA can be recycled ten cycles without loss of oil absorption capacity (more than 120 g/g). The results presented in this work demonstrate that the as‐prepared nanowire aerogel may find applications in chemical separation and environmental remediation for large‐scale absorption of oils from water.

Recyclable biomass carbon@SiO2@MnO2 aerogel with hierarchical structures for fast and selective oil-water separation

Biomass carbon aerogels are emerging as attractive versatile materials have broad potential applications in various fields including energy storage, oil absorption and catalysts due to their abundance in nature, low cost and environmental friendliness. Here, we have successfully prepared a compressible, superhydrophobic and multifunctional hierarchical biomass carbon@SiO2@MnO2 aerogel (HBCSM aerogel) by using cost-effective and environmentally friendly sisal cellulose as main raw material. During this process, the cellulose@SiO2 aerogel (CS aerogel) was fabricated using sol-gel process, followed by carbonization to form biomass carbon@SiO2 aerogel (BCS aerogel). Then, the HBCSM aerogel was fabricated by in situ assembly of MnO2 nanosheets on the surface of the BCS aerogel under hydrothermal conditions. The incorporation of hierarchical SiO2@MnO2 structure into the HBCSM aerogel could not only improve the surface roughness and hydrophobic properties but also enhance the absorption capacity and mechanical durability. In addition, the HBCSM aerogel exhibits excellent superhydrophobicity with the water contact angle (WCA) of 155°. The as-prepared modified HBCSM aerogel exhibits a very large absorption capacity (60–120 g g−1) for different oils and organic solvents and the absorption capacity of the as-prepared aerogel shows a slight decrease after the repeated absorption and release of several oil and solvents for 9 cycles. This work provides a new procedure for fabrication of hybrid carbon aerogel with well-defined 3D hierarchical porous structures that may provide a new slight on the relationship between the structure and property of biomass carbon aerogel, making it a promising candidate for industrial oil-polluted water treatments and oil spill cleanup.

Facile fabrication of asphaltene-derived graphene-polyurethane sponges for efficient and selective oil-water separation

ABSTRACTBased on the natural graphene-structure in the raw asphaltene material, a graphene-polyurethane sponge (GPU) oil-absorption material was prepared via a facile and inexpensive route of dip-coated sponge carbonization, which used low-value petroleum asphlatene as the dip-coating reagent and polyurethane sponges as the template. The GPU presents high hydrophobic and super oleophilic properties, as well as the excellent oil absorption performance. And its chloroform absorption capacity could reach 123 times its original mass, which is significantly higher than that of most reported oil absorbents. Furthermore, the GPU exhibits good recyclability. It has the promising applications in the pollution control of spilt oil.

In situ fabrication dynamic carbon fabrics membrane with tunable wettability for selective oil–water separation

Achieving reversible wetting properties of separation membrane for on-demand separate oil/water mixture remains challenging, especially for the oil/water mixtures with complex impurities. Herein, hierarchical porous dynamic separation membranes involving primary fiber membrane and secondary nanostructures are fabricated by in situ growth ZnO nanowires on the surface of carbon fibers. Based on the effect of oxygen-related defects of ZnO nanowires coating, the as-fabricated dynamic separation membrane is capable of switching wetting property between high-hydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity via simply annealing alternatively under vacuum and air environment, achieving the switching between oil-removing mode and water-removing mode according to the type of oil/water mixtures. Moreover, the dynamic separation membrane can be extended to separate the oil/water mixtures containing suspended solids using the reconstruction of ZnO dynamic coating. Through removing the ZnO dynamic coating via soaking the clogged membrane in the hydrochloric acid–ethanol and refabricating the ZnO-dynamic coating, the membrane blocked by impurities could be readily re-formed, which effectively expand its scope of application and enhance its anti-fouling property. This work not only provides a simple and on-demand solution for pure oily wastewater, but also extends the separation membrane to separate oil/water mixtures containing suspended solids.

Direct coating of a DKGM hydrogel on glass fabric for multifunctional oil-water separation in harsh environments

With the rapid development of industrialization, the deterioration of water resources, especially oily wastewater pollution, is becoming a worldwide threat, because it is severely harmful to biological and human safety. Recently, porous meshes with superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity have attracted significant attention due to their low oil adhesion and selective oil-water separation. However, simple, environmentally friendly, low-cost, multifunctional and facile scaled-up materials are still urgently in demand. Here, a natural polymer-based hydrogel prepared by konjac glucomannan (KGM) was coated on glass fabric, a kind of engineering material. The resulting hydrogel-coated glass fabric not only shows excellent performance of water removal from oil-water mixture but also can remove organic dyes and heavy metals in water simultaneously during the oil-water separation process. In addition, due to the strong hydration capacity, the DKGM hydrogel-coated glass fabric shows underwater ultra-low-oil-adhesive superoleophobicity to viscous oils, which means it is self-cleaning with respect to oils in an aqueous environment and can be easily recycled for long-term use. Importantly, the superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity of these hydrogel-coated glass fabrics were maintained under various harsh conditions. The low-cost, biodegradable and environmentally friendly preparation, resistance to harsh conditions and multifunctional applications properties make these hydrogel-coated glass fabrics hold great potential for purifying oily wastewater.

3D macroscopic superhydrophobic magnetic porous carbon aerogel converted from biorenewable popcorn for selective oil-water separation

Effective transformation of biorenewable biomass to high-performance carbon aerogel furnished a promising approach to the evolution of sorbents for selective oil-water separation. Here, 3D macroscopic superhydrophobic magnetic porous carbon aerogel (3DSMPC) was first prepared via a facile carbonization/magnetization process using biorenewable popcorn as the raw material and sequent surface modification. The 3DSMPC exhibited a low density of 0.095gcm−3, transcendent magnetic saturation value of 3.3emug−1, and outstanding superhydrophobic property with static water contact angle of 151.6°, and remarkable selective adsorption for fuel oil, organic solvent and edible oil from water. Furthermore, 3DSMPC showed splendid adsorption characteristics, for instance, the best sample exhibited maximum adsorption capacities of 10.02, 10.83 and 10.28gg−1 for engine oil, chloroethane, and corn oil, respectively. In addition, the 3DSMPC show excellent reutilization due to organic pollutants adsorbed could be retrieved through the simple distillation. The light and superhydrophobic 3DSMPC made attractive candidates in potential applications in selective oil-water separation.

Directional Fluid Gating by Janus Membranes with Heterogeneous Wetting Properties for Selective Oil–Water Separation

The rising oil seepage accidents evolved into a global issue necessitating immediate counter measure to abridge its catastrophic repercussions on sensitive marine ecosystem urging innovative techniques for effective oil/water separation. Here, we report surface tailored wettability modified superhydrophobic/superoleophilic Janus membrane by impregnating nonionic surfactant stabilized nanosized polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) dispersion polymerized via nonfluorinated processing aid onto cotton substrate using the Meyer rod-coating technique, exhibiting excellent separation efficiency up to 98% with various petroleum products and retaining its intrinsic properties for at least 30 recurrences. Morphological analysis revealed the generation of closely spaced irregularly patterned nanospindles on the microfibral cotton surface devising hierarchical dual-scale surface architecture, followed by superhydrophobicization (WCA 168° ± 3°) and low ice-adhesion, illustrating deviation from conventional Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter wetting theories. The developed membrane exhibited flame retardancy, anti-icing characteristic, and retained its superhydrophobic/superoleophilic characteristic of Janus membrane in hyper-saline solution, UV-irradiation of wavelenghth 254 nm, high temperature of 150 °C, and subzero temperature of -20 °C. Furthermore, we hypothesized the developed membranes as a directional fluid diode, allowing lower surface tension liquids (oil) to permeate while barring higher surface tension liquids (water) from penetrating, and the breakthrough pressure of 0.65 kPa for water permeation was also mathematically calculated. This study systematically exemplifies the reported fabric as a potentially competent alternative for cleaning massive marine oil seepages.

Micro–nano structural engineering of filter paper surface for high selective oil–water separation

Cellulose-based lotus-leaf-like filter paper for selective separation of oil/water was prepared. Experimentally, cellulose nanofibril aerogel microspheres prepared by ultrasonic atomization method were coated on commercial filter papers to form unique “micro–nano” structured surface. By controlling both the morphology and chemistry of the surface, the papers could be either under-water superoleophobic or under-oil superhydrophobic. It was found that the filter papers could be engineered to effectively filter only oil or only water from their mixtures.

Coco peat powder as a source of magnetic sorbent for selective oil–water separation

Coco peat powder (CPD), the main by-product of the coconut palm, is an excellent source of environmentally friendly magnetic sorbent with potential application in oil-spill cleanup. In order to develop the best resource for the agricultural crop and alleviate environmental stress caused by disposal of natural CPD, Fe3O4 nanoparticles were immobilized on coco peat powder (CPD) with the aid of mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) and then chemically modified by low-surface-energy octadecylamine (ODA) to fabricate a novel magnetic coco peat powder (MCPD) for selective oil–water separation. The obtained MCPD, which had high hydrophobicity (water contact angle: 135±3°) and saturation magnetization of 27.6 emu/g, exhibited remarkable sorption efficiency for convenient removal of oils from water and displayed excellent separating performance under an auxiliary magnetic field. The results indicated that the highest amount of oil sorption on MCPD reached 8.57 times of its own weight, and the oil could be desorbed from the oil-loaded MCPD and easily recycled for at least 11 cycles. The oil-loaded MCPD also exhibited high recyclability, with a loss of less than 15.32% in oil-sorption capacity after 11 cycles, which suggests that the MCPD prepared through the proposed synthesis process has high potential for application in large-scale removal of spilled oils from water. This work also provides a universal strategy for developing an oil-pollution treatment using natural resources from the waste stream.