Synthesis of Functionalized Flexible and Rigid Polyurethane for Oil Spill Treatment

Abstract. To improve the oleophilic and hydrophobic properties of two different types of polyurethane sponge (flexible, FPU, and rigid, RPU) for oil spill cleanup, acrylamido phenyl chalcone palamitamid, a recently synthesized monomer with long chains of linear alkyl groups, was in situ crosslinked with divinylbenzene. Grafted PU cubes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The water sorption of ungrafted FPU and RPU decreased from 18.05 and 15.66 to 7.31 and 7.06 for grafted FPU and RPU, respectively. The effect of oil type on the sorption capacity testing was explored and compared using crude oil, diesel fuel, and water-oil systems. It was found that the crude oil and diesel fuel sorption of grafted FPU and RPU cubes was increased compared with ungrafted FPU and RPU cubes, and the maximum values for adsorption were recorded using crude oil. These results can be explained by increasing the adherent forces between the adsorbent and the oil surface with increasing oil viscosity, and consequently, the oil adsorption increases. The high oil absorption capacity is mainly attributed to the high porosity of the sponges. The modified FPU and RPU cubes can be effectively used in oil and water spill cleanup.