Textile-inspired methodology toward asymmetric fabric based on weft-backed weave for oil/water separation

We report a novel asymmetric weft-backed woven fabric applied for oil/water separation. The fabric with asymmetric wettability is woven with two different yarns, which are produced by hydrophilic viscose and hydrophobic polypropylene fibers. It could work in oil-removing and water-removing modes by the artful structure of weft-backed woven fabrics under the driven force of gravity. The separation efficiency of the woven fabric exceeds 95%, while the cycle times have been raised to 15 compared to previous research, which satisfies practical requirements for oily water treatment. A plausible separation mechanism of the fabric was firstly studied to offer better guidance for fabricating asymmetric wettable materials. This work provides a cost-effective, readily available method for the fabrication of oil/water separated materials under a simple and rapid procedure. Furthermore, it offers an interdisciplinary perspective for exploring applications of traditional textile method in environment conservation field.