Electrospun polystyrene/asphaltene fiber for selective separation of oil from water surface

To deal with the challenges of oil spills and their harms, fabricating superhydrophobic adsorbents with high sorption properties is a significant issue. For the first time, asphaltene was involved in polystyrene polymer using the electrospinning method to produce efficient fibers for oil adsorption from water. The polystyrene-asphaltene composite fibers showed a considerable increase in the porosity, surface area, water contact angle, and hydrophobic-lipophilic nature compared to polystyrene fibers. The maximum adsorption capacity of polystyrene-asphaltene fibers was 50–120% higher than that of polystyrene fibers. The oil adsorption on the composite sorbents was fast, and the steady state condition was reached in 22 min. The kinetic data fit the intraparticle kinetic model well, representing three stages of the adsorption process. Asphaltene, as a cost-effective, abundant component, induces unique properties in the polystyrene-asphaltene fibers and can be considered a proper choice for oil spill cleanup.