Hydrophobic carbonized paper based on cellulose and glass micro fibers for separation of emulsified oil/water mixtures

Abstract

Separating emulsified oil/water mixture is full of challenges. Special permeable wetted surfaces can separate emulsions but usually require modification by fluorine or silicon based chemicals, which can cause second pollution after use. Carbon aerogels are porous hydrophobic materials, which provide a promising approach to selectively adsorb oil from oil water mixture. However, during the course of the fabrication of carbon cryogels, freeze drying is essential, which is time-consuming and energy-intensive process. In this article, we introduced wet papermaking technology manufacturing base paper to replace freeze drying, followed by carbonization in N₂ at 800 ºC, hydrophobic carbon paper with a porosity of 90.22% was obtained when the content of micro glass fiber was 70%. The resulting carbon paper not only separates oil slick but also separates water-in-oil emulsion with an efficiency of 98.5% and flux of 1200 L/m²·h.