Robust and continuous oil/water separation with superhydrophobic glass microfiber membrane by vertical polymerization under harsh conditions

Abstract

We report a robust and continuous oil/water separation with nanostructured glass microfiber (GMF) membranes modified by oxygen plasma treatment and self-assembled monolayer coating with vertical polymerization. The modified GMF membrane had a nanostructured surface and showed excellent superhydrophobicity. With an appropriate membrane thickness, a high water intrusion pressure (<62.7 kPa) was achieved for continuous pressure-driven separation of oil/water mixtures with high flux (<4418 L h(-1) m(-2)) and high oil purity (>99%). Under simulated industrial conditions, the modified GMF membrane exhibited robust chemical stability against strong acidic/alkaline solutions and corrosive environments. The proposed superhydrophobic composite coating technique is simple, low cost, environmentally friendly, and suitable for the mass production of scalable three-dimensional surfaces. Moreover, its stability and customizable functionality offers considerable potential for a wide range of novel applications.