DURABLE CANDLE SOOT/PDMS COMPOSITE COATED SUPERHYDROPHOBIC SPONGES FOR OIL-WATER SEPARATION

Abstract

Chloroform has been employed as a solvent to dip-coating candle soot/polydimethylsiloxane onto polyurethane sponges, creating superhydrophobic sponges that effectively and long-lastingly separate oil from water. Oil-water mixture separation efficiencies were all greater than 98%, and the sponges as made had a high capacity for absorbing oils and organic solvents. After a paraffin candle flame burned, candle soot was created. The water contact angle of a superhydrophobic sponge dip-coated with a chloroform solution containing 100 mg candle soot and 0.5 ml Polydimethylsiloxane was 164°, whereas the oil contact angle was 0°. The superhydrophobic sponge demonstrated exceptional thermal, chemical, and mechanical resilience. Based on these studies, the candle soot-polydimethylsiloxane sponge appears promising for large-scale, inexpensive oil removal from water in environmental remediation.