Preparation of modified CNT poly urethane sponge as super hydrophobic oleophilic adsorbent material for spilled crude oil cleanup

Oil spill incidents have resulted in a widespread and significant global issue, posing severe threats to the environment, ecosystems, and economy. The contamination of freshwater supplies has been greatly diminished, jeopardizing the well-being of both humans and various organisms. Timely and efficient cleanup of spilled oil is crucial, and the preferred method for effectively removing oils from oily water involves the utilization of sorbent materials through physical adsorption. A sorbent designed for oil spill cleanup was developed through sequentially treating polyurethane sponges with carbon nanotubes and stearic acid. Extensive investigations were conducted to examine the sorbent's oil absorption capacity, preference for oil over water, reusability potential, and underlying sorption mechanism. The findings indicated that the modified sponge (CNT, Stearic acid /polyurethan sponge) as oleophilic sorbent which remarkable oil/water selectivity and a substantial sorption capacity. One g of the prepared sorbent removes nearly 100% of crude oil within 30 seconds. The sorbent exhibited exceptional reusability, with over 51% of its sorption capacity retained even after 7 consecutive sorption and squeezing cycles. This remarkable performance ranks the prepared sorbent as a superior substitute for the commercially available polypropylene sorbents commonly employed nowadays.