Preparation and oil absorption performance of polyacrylonitrile / reduced graphene oxide composite porous material

In this study, the PAN/RGO composite porous material was prepared through a combination of hydrothermal reaction and freeze-drying used waste polyacrylonitrile fiber (PAN) as the raw material and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) as the reinforcing phase. The resulting PAN/RGO composite porous material has obvious 3D porous structure that made up of the PAN fibers as three-dimensional skeleton and RGO served as the reinforcing and bonding material between the fibers. The PAN/RGO displayed excellent adsorption capacity towards oil or organic solvent and resistance to chemical corrosion such as acid and salt. The maximum adsorption amount of oil was up to 42.8-177.2 times its own weight and the oil retention rate was reach 96.8 %. Meanwhile, the PAN/ RGO exhibited good reusability and the adsorption efficiency still maintained at about 90 % after nine recycling tests. This research provides an economical, effective and environmentally friendly material for oil-water separation and recycling of waste oil.

Automated summary

The PAN/RGO composite porous material prepared in this study showed excellent adsorption capacity towards oil and organic solvents, as well as resistance to chemical corrosion. It is a cost-effective, efficient, and environmentally friendly material for oil-water separation and waste oil recycling.