A biomimetic design for efficient petrochemical spill disposal: CoFe-PBA modified superhydrophobic melamine sponge with mechanical/chemical durability and low fire risk

Haocun Guan; Rongjia Li; Richeng Lian; Jiahui Cui; Mingyu Ou; Lei Liu; Xilei Chen; Chuanmei Jiao; Shaoping Kuang

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132041

A biomimetic design for efficient petrochemical spill disposal: CoFe-PBA modified superhydrophobic melamine sponge with mechanical/chemical durability and low fire risk

J Hazard Mater. 2023 Oct 5:459:132041. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132041. Epub 2023 Jul 12.

Authors

Haocun Guan¹, Rongjia Li¹, Richeng Lian¹, Jiahui Cui¹, Mingyu Ou¹, Lei Liu¹, Xilei Chen², Chuanmei Jiao³, Shaoping Kuang¹

Affiliations

¹ College of Environment and Safety Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266042, China.
² College of Environment and Safety Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266042, China. Electronic address: xilei_chen@foxmail.com.
³ College of Environment and Safety Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266042, China. Electronic address: jiaochm@qust.edu.cn.

PMID: 37487334
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132041

Abstract

Due to frequent petrochemical spills, environmental pollution and the threat of secondary marine fires have arisen, necessitating an urgent need for petrochemical spill treatment strategies with high-performance oil-water separation capabilities. To address the challenges of poor durability, instability in hydrophobic conditions, and difficulty in absorbing high-viscosity crude oil associated with hydrophobic absorbent materials, the authors of this study took inspiration from the unique micro and nanostructures of springtails' water-repellent skin. We engineered a superhydrophobic melamine sponge using interfacial assembly techniques designated as Si@PBA@PDA@MS. This material demonstrated improved mechanical and chemical durability, enhanced photothermal performance, and reduced fire risk. The metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived cobalt-iron Prussian blue analog (CoFe-PBA) was firmly anchored to the sponge framework by the chelation of cobalt ions using polydopamine (PDA). The results demonstrated that Si@PBA@PDA@MS demonstrated excellent superhydrophobicity (WCA=163.5°) and oil absorption capacity (53.4-97.5 g/g), maintaining high durability even after 20 cycles of absorption-squeezing. Additionally, it could still exhibit excellent mechanical properties, hydrophobic stability, and absorption performance across a wide temperature range (0-100 °C), pH range (1-14), and high compression strength (ε = 80%), with excellent mechanical/chemical durability. Furthermore, Si@PBA@PDA@MS demonstrated remarkable photothermal performance and low fire risk, offering efficient, safe, and sustainable practical value for effective petrochemical spill treatment.

Keywords: Low fire risk; Mechanical/chemical durability; Oil-water separation; Petrochemical spills; Superhydrophobic sponge.