Advanced super-hydrophobic polymer-based porous absorbents for the treatment of oil-polluted water

The threat of environmental pollution caused by spilled oil is rapidly increasing along with the expansion of oil exploration, the development of maritime activities and industrial growth. Oil spill incidents usually affect seriously the ecosystem and human life. Therefore, the treatment and recovery of the oil spill have been considered as an ultra-important issue to protect the environment and to minimize its negative impacts on socio-economic activities. Among methods of oil spill recovery, porous materials have emerged as potential absorbents possessing the capacity of absorbing spilled oil at a fast rate, high adsorption capacity, good selectivity, and high reusability. In this review paper, two types of polymer-based porous absorbents modified surface and structure were introduced for the treatment strategy of the oil-polluted water. In addition, the absorption mechanism and factors affecting the adsorption capacity for oils and organic solvents were thoroughly analyzed. More importantly, characteristics of polymer-based porous materials were discussed in detail based on microstructure analysis, absorption efficiency, and reusability. In general, this paper has provided an overview and a comprehensive assessment of the use of advanced polymer-based porous materials for the treatment of oil-polluted water, although the impacts of environmental factors such as wind, wave, and temperature should be further investigated in the future.