Efficient separation of oil-in-water emulsion based on a superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic polyvinylidene fluoride membrane

Membrane materials have been extensively applied in the field of separation of oil-water mixtures. However, most membrane materials are limited to separate oil-water mixtures and difficult to separate stable oil-water emulsions. Therefore, the polymer membrane, which is a type of underwater superoleophobic membrane material, has attracted extensive attention for its excellent antipollution performance and emulsion separation ability. In this work, we combined the synthesized poly (acrylic acid)-co-poly(3-[trimethoxysilyl]propyl methacrylate) (PAA-co-PTMSPMA) with micro-nanoparticles to modify polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes. By means of this strategy, PVDF membranes with excellent superhydrophilicity-underwater superoleophobicity were successfully fabricated. The obtained PVDF membrane could efficiently realize the separation of various oil-in-water emulsions, and the separation efficiency was greater than 99%. In addition, the separation efficiency of the modified superhydrophilic PVDF membrane maintained stable after 10 separation cycles (>98.6%). When relying on this simple and eco-friendly preparation strategy, this superhydrophilic-underwater superoleophobic membrane material has broad application prospects in the field of industrial and domestic wastewater treatment.

Automated summary

By modifying polyvinylidene fluoride membranes with synthesized polymers, a membrane with superhydrophilicity-underwater superoleophobicity was successfully fabricated, enabling efficient separation of various oil-in-water emulsions with stable separation efficiency.