AUTHOR=Tong Qilei , Fan Zhenzhong , Wang Biao , Liu Qingwang , Bo Yunhe , Qian Liqing 

TITLE=Preparation and Application of Superhydrophobic Copper Mesh by Chemical Etching and In-situ Growth

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Chemistry

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry/articles/10.3389/fchem.2021.737550

DOI=10.3389/fchem.2021.737550

ISSN=2296-2646

ABSTRACT=Oily sewage and floating oil in the ocean have a huge threat to the ecological environment, and the preparation of oil-water separation materials has been a significant issue. In this study, the super-hydrophobic oil-water separation copper mesh prepared by the chemical etching method and the in-situ growth method and the performance evaluation are introduced. The oxide layer on the surface of the copper mesh is first removed by pickling, and then immersed in a ferric chloride solution for chemical etching to make the surface rough, stearic acid is used for in-situ growth to reduce the surface energy, a super-hydrophobic oil-water separation copper mesh is obtained. The contact angle of the copper mesh can reach more than 160°. The copper mesh is chemically stable and can effectively adsorb floating oil and separate the oil-water mixture. After several oil-water separation experiments, the oil-water separation efficiency can still be above 97%. The study used a simple and environmentally friendly method to prepare the oil-water separation copper mesh, which has important application significance for water quality restoration.