@article{Yang2024, 
author = {Chenguang Yang and Dechang Tao and Kun Yan and Zhiyao Li and Qingshi Guo and Wenwen Wang and Dong Wang},
title = {A scalable versatile methodology to construct micro/nano open-cell polypropylene foam with high oil adsorption capacity and speed},
year = {2024},
journal = {Nano Research},
volume = {17},
number = {4},
pages = {2814-2823},
keywords = {electron beam irradiation, oil/water separation, cyclic compression, complex acid-base pH conditions, open-cell polypropylene (PP) foam},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.1007/s12274-023-6165-1},
doi = {10.1007/s12274-023-6165-1},
abstract = {Oil pollution is a serious environmental and natural resource problem. Traditional adsorption materials for oil–water separation have limitations in terms of their preparation cost, reusability, and mechanical properties. Among the conventional adsorption materials, super-hydrophobic/super-lipophilic materials are easily contaminated by oil. In this study, polypropylene (PP) is used as a foam substrate to prepare an open-cell PP foam via hot pressing, supercritical CO2 foaming, and electron beam (EB) irradiation. The impact of EB irradiation dose on the open-cell content of PP foam can lead to cell wall rupture, resulting in an open-cell structure that enhances oil-water separation performance. At an absorbed radiation dose of 200 kGy, the PP foams exhibit optimal oil–water separation performance, cyclic compression stability, heat insulation, and preparation cost. The open-cell content of PP foam is increased to 86.5%, the adsorption capacity for diesel oil is 42.8 g/g, and the adsorption efficiency remains at 99.6% after 100 cycles of oil desorption in a complex pH environment. Meanwhile, cracks and nano-voids simultaneously promote the capillary action of oil, and the oil transport rate is 0.0713 g/(g·s). This study provides a new concept for the preparation of open-cell polymer foams that can meet the demand for high oil-absorption capacity under complex acid-base pH conditions.}
}