Hydrophobic modification of polyurethane foam for oil spill cleanup

Li, Hua; Liu, Lifen; Yang, Fenglin

Hydrophobic modification of polyurethane foam for oil spill cleanup

2012

Li, Hua | Liu, Lifen | Yang, Fenglin

To improve the oleophilic/hydrophobic properties of polyurethane (PU) foams for oil spill cleanup, PU samples were modified by grafting with oleophilic monomer Lauryl methacrylate (LMA) in solvent and/or coating with LMA microspheres through heating and curing. Modified PU cubes were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The water sorption of modified PU cubes was decreased by 24–50%, while the diesel or kerosene sorption of modified PU cubes was increased by 18–27%. In water–oil system, compared with blank PU cubes, the sorption capacity of PU cubes grafted with LMA was increased by 44% for diesel and 100% for kerosene. The sorption capacity of PU cubes coated with LMA microspheres was increased by 20% for diesel and 7% for kerosene. The solvent sorption of modified PU cubes could reach 50–69g/g. The modified PU cubes can be effectively used in oil/solvent spill cleanup.

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