Development of a novel hydrophobic and lipophilic material based on mullite fiber-based porous ceramics matrix used for highly efficient oil-water separation

The present work focused on developing a novel hydrophobic and lipophilic material for oil-water separation based on mullite fiber-based porous ceramics as the matrix material and octadecylamine (ODA) with low surface energy as the coating material. The bionic surface grafting technology was used to modify the porous ceramics, forming a multi-level structure used as the superhydrophobic membrane. The oil adsorption capacity, oil holding capacity and recyclability of the material for various oils were investigated. It was demonstrated that the modified ODA coating made the mullite fiber-based porous ceramics hydrophobic and lipophilic and could achieve fine effect of oil-water separation in a short time. The oil absorption performance was affected by the types of oil and the maximum adsorption capacity was generally more than 1 time of its own mass. Meanwhile, excellent oil holding capacity and recyclability were observed.