Electrospun polysulfone/poly(lactic acid) nanoporous fibrous mats for oil removal from water

Abstract

The study of oil sorbents with high oil sorption capacity is of great significance for oil-water separation, especially for oil spillage on seawater. In this work, we report polysulfone, poly(lactic acid), and polysulfone/poly(lactic acid) nanoporous fibrous mats prepared by one-step electrospinning process used as oil sorbents for oil-water separation. The morphology, porous structure, oleophilicity and hydrophobicity, oil sorption capacity, and oil retention of these nanoporous fibrous mats are investigated in detail. It is noticeable that the motor oil and linseed oil sorption capacity of polysulfone and polysulfone/poly(lactic acid) fibrous mats have little difference, but the motor oil sorption capacity (147.8 g g À1 ) of polysulfone is approximately 2.95 times as much as that (50.1 g g À1 ) of poly(lactic acid). The linseed oil sorption capacity (131.3 g g À1 ) is approximately 3.74 times than that (34.6 g g À1 ) of poly(lactic acid). Besides, they all exhibit quick oil sorption speed and high buoyancy. It is suggested that polysulfone and polysulfone/poly(lactic acid) nanoporous fibrous mats have a better oil sorption capacity than poly(lactic acid)

Novel reusable functionalized magnetic cobalt ferrite nanoparticles as oil adsorbents

“…Despite the preventative measures in the industry of oil drilling and transportation, quite some quantities are discharged in the ecosystem and approximately 0.1% of all oil is accidentally spilled into the oceans or the seas each year (Al-Majed et al., 2012, 2014; Bayat et al., 2005; Farias et al., 2015; Lin et al., 2012). In other words, out of 5 million tons of oil transported by sea, 500 tons end up getting spilled, which causes grave and irreparable damage to the marine and coastal environment (Annunciado et al., 2005; Liu et al., 2019). It is thus important to develop quick and efficient oil removal methods.…”

The Role of Electrospun Nanomaterials in the Future of Energy and Environment

“…Selective wettability, oil sorption capacity, morphology and buoyancy of the porous nanofibers are important factors affecting the efficiency of oil sorption. Nanometer porous morphology of the fibers and increased specific surface area has a significant effect on oil sorption capacity [ 126 ]. Figure 8 shows the scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of nanoporous fibrous mats of polysulfone/poly (lactic acid) in comparison with nanoporous fibrous mats of polysulfone and poly (lactic acid).…”

“…Addressing the ecological safety of the sorbents, reusability, and effective recovery of the spilt oil should be considered. In a recent study, Liu et al, also investigated the effect of oil retention capacity (keeping oil encapsulated in the sorbent) of electrospun fibrous mats on the efficiency of the fibers [ 126 ]. Hydrophobic-oleophilic polymer-based nanofibers, carbon-based nanofibers, and composite nanofibers have been developed for oil spill remediation.…”

A Review on the Secondary Surface Morphology of Electrospun Nanofibers: Formation Mechanisms, Characterizations, and Applications

“…Increasing the porosity and specific surface area of fibers can be accomplished with improving the performance of absorption, catalysis, sensors, and so on. Therefore, porous fibers have presented extensive use in a wide variety of applications …”

“…Phase separation (e. g. thermally induced (TIPS) and vapor induced phase separation (VIPS)) is another method for producing porous fibers . Highly volatile solvents such as dichloromethane (DCM), acetone (ACE), tetrahydrofuran (THF), and chloroform, has the ability to generate porous fibers from various polymers such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly(L‐lactic acid) (PLLA), polystyrene (PS), poly(D,L‐lactide), poly(ϵ‐caprolactone), poly(vinyl acetate) (PVA), polycarbonate, polyvinyl butyral (PVB), ethylcellulose, polymethylsilsesquioxane, cellulose triacetate, and polyvinyl carbazole . Commonly, pores are created on the electrospun fibers’ surfaces due to TIPS.…”