Preparation of Carbonized Kapok Fiber/Reduced Graphene Oxide Aerogel for Oil‐Water Separation

Abstract A carbonized composite aerogel was fabricated based on kapok fibers (KFs) and graphene oxide (GO) through hydrothermal and carbonizing reactions. The as‐prepared carbonized kapok fiber/reduced graphene oxide (CKF/RGO) aerogel exhibited special features including light weight, fire resistance, stable structure, hydrophobicity, and oleophilicity. The wettability of the KF/GO aerogel was transformed to hydrophobicity after carbonization, which provided the CKF/RGO aerogel with a distinct ability for oil‐water separation. The CKF/RGO aerogel was able to adsorb oil liquids up to 110 times of its own weight. The sorption capacity of the CKF/RGO aerogel was still higher than 90 % of the initial sorption capacity after eleven sorption‐combustion cycles of n ‐hexane solvent.