Electrospun Fibrous PTFE Supported ZnO for Oil-Water Separation

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/ZnO composite fiber membranes were prepared by electrospinning, and PTFE/ZnO composite films were obtained after removing PVA. Considering that the spinning solution has good spinning performance, the PTFE/ZnO composite film has good flexibility and durability. The zinc oxide powder is evenly fixed on the surface of PTFE fibers, so that the film's flexibility will not be affected during high-temperature calcination. The scanning electron micrograph shows that the morphology of the film is similar to the surface of the lotus leaf. The properties of PTFE/ZnO composite films were investigated by hydrophobic angle test and oil-water separation experiments. Results show that the PTFE/ZnO composite film has good hydrophobicity and oil-water separation performance. With the decrease in ZnO, the contact angle of the PTFE/ZnO composite film increased, and the oil-water separation performance improved. When the amount of ZnO added was 0.025 g, the contact angle was 160.9 degrees, and the oil-water separation performance was the best.