Foam or cotton covered by superhydrophobic micro-SiO₂/fiberglass cloth for oil absorption

A novel porous oil-sorption material covered by a superhydrophobic fiberglass cloth was fabricated, in which the superhydrophobic fiberglass cloth facilitated oil–water separation and the cotton or foam provided storage for the oil that permeated through the superhydrophobic fiberglass cloth. It is crucial to prepare superhydrophobic silica (SiO₂) particles by the application of dodecyltrimethoxysilane. Epoxy resin was used as a binder to coat superhydrophobic silica on the surface of the fiberglass cloth. The adhesive force between the fiberglass cloth and the superhydrophobic silica was found to be strong. The water contact angle of the superhydrophobic microsilica/fiberglass cloth (modified fiberglass cloth) was 155 ± 1°, the oil contact angle was always 0° and the water–oil separation efficiency was 95.80%. The modified fiberglass cloth showed good acid–alkali resistance. Cotton or foam covered by the superhydrophobic microsilica/fiberglass cloth had good water–oil separation performance, oil-sorption recyclability and a maximum oil-sorption capacity for high-temperature oil of up to 17.07 ± 0.59 g/g. As oil-sorption materials are simple to manufacture and inexpensive, they are a good option for use in the removal of oil pollutants.