Facile Preparation and Characterization of Modified Polyurethane Sponge for Oil Absorption

Oil spills have devastating effects on the environment. Utilization of absorbents for oil spill cleanup has been practiced; however, the development of cheap, reliable, environmentally friendly absorbents is both desirable and urgent. In this study, we illustrate a novel oil absorbent fabricated by modifying polyurethane (PU) sponges with TiO2 sol. The attachment of TiO2 nanoparticles reduced the hydrophilicity of the modified PU sponge significantly by increasing its surface roughness and changing the chemical composition of the surface. The modified PU sponges exhibited oil absorption capacity of 95-110 g/g with negligible water uptake under both static and dynamic conditions. The modified PU sponge was found to be reusable up to 12 cycles holding 70% of its initial uptake capacity. The modified PU sponges can be effectively used in oil spill cleanup.