Electrospinning to fabricate composite membranes with improved superhydrophobic properties for efficient oil-water separation

The pursuit of developing quickly prepared, multifunctional, selective, and highly efficient fiber membranes has gained significant attention, particularly in oil-water separation treatment. The present study successfully fabricated composite membranes consisting of Polystyrene/polyacrylonitrile-polyvinylidene fluoride/polydimethylsiloxane- Iron tetraoxide nanoparticles (PS/PAN-PVDF/PDMS@Fe3O4) through the electrospinning technique. The prepared composite membranes' surface morphology, wettability, and separation efficiency were tested and characterized. The results demonstrate the exceptional superhydrophobic and lipophilic properties of the composite membrane. The Fe3O4 nanoparticle-doped fiber membrane exhibits consistent superhydrophobicity (contact angle exceeding 150°) in diverse acid and alkali environments while demonstrating controlled motion in a magnetic field. The fabricated composite fiber membrane exhibited effective adsorption of various oils, including peanut oil, silicone oil, and Span 80, achieving adsorption capacities ranging from 60 to 100 g/g. The membrane exhibited separation flux and efficiency values of 8067 L.m−2h−1 and 97.6% under gravity-driven conditions, respectively. Even after 40 cycles of separating acidic-alkaline oil-water mixtures, the separation flux remained at 5000 L.m−2.h−1. Hence, the prepared composite fiber membrane can be applied in oil-water separation.