Surface-Modified Nanoporous Membrane for Oil–Water Separation

Surface modification of membranes for oil–water separation has been a topic of significant interest due to disastrous impact of oil spills on the environment. In general, porous membranes used for the separation suffer from low flexibility are prone to corrosion, fast degradation, poor mechanical, and thermal stability. We report surface-modified nanoporous membranes for oil–water separation. Linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) was coated on poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibrous membrane (NFM) to obtain superhydrophobic- and superoleophilic-like membranes. PVA-NFM acts as an excellent durable porous material and has the potential to incorporate active chemistry at nanoscale due to its high surface area. Highly efficient, vacuum-free separation of oil–water mixtures is achieved. Comparative analysis of surface morphology, water contact angle, and mechanical stability of the coatings show that surface-modified PVA-NFMs offered highly improved functionality and sustained a minimum of 11 filtration cycles with 99.9% oil recovery along with uniform flux.