Recent Advances of Polyurethane Composite Foam Materials in Oil/Water Separation Applications

Oil/water separation is an important pursuit because of the increasing worldwide oil pollution. The key to solving this problem is to develop high-performance materials and improve their separation efficiency. Polyurethane composite foam (PUCF) possesses large specific surface area, high open porosity, and good mechanical properties which have been developed for oil/water separation. This paper mainly summarizes the research progress of PUCF materials in oil/water separation, including the surface-wetting theory, the intrinsic wetting threshold theory, the main factors affecting the separation performance of foam materials, and the recent research status of the PUCF materials in oil/water separation. Finally, we look forward to the research focus on urgent problems that should be addressed for PUCF in oil/water separation, which will provide new strategies for further developing next-generation high-performance foam materials for oil/water separation.