Low cost and robust soot dipped polyurethane sponge for highly efficient and recyclable oil and organic solvent cleanup

Abstract

In this study, a very hydrophobic and superoleophilic sponge was fabricated by a homogeneous coating of soot on the polyurethane sponge (PUS) framework. The soot dipped polyurethane sponge (SPUS) exhibits very high efficiency and capacity for the selective absorption of oil and organic solvents from water. It has a large absorption capacity of up to 45 times its original weight for pump oil and 86 times its original weight for chloroform, along with high recyclability of more than 60 cycles. All the results indicate that SPUS has high potential for practical applications.