Preparation of Fluorine-free Superhydrophobic Perlite Powder and Its Oil/Water Separation Performance

OU Jiayu; YU Zhiyi; LI Jie; ZHONG Zihao; ZHAO Chundong; SUN Xiaoyuan; CHEN Guanghao; LIU Ziai; PAN Weihao

doi:10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2025.21.010

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Surface Technology ›› 2025, Vol. 54 ›› Issue (21) : 133-142. DOI: 10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2025.21.010

Special Topic—Design and Applications of Hierarchical Surface Structure Exhibiting Superwettability

Preparation of Fluorine-free Superhydrophobic Perlite Powder and Its Oil/Water Separation Performance

OU Jiayu¹, YU Zhiyi¹, LI Jie¹, ZHONG Zihao¹, ZHAO Chundong¹, SUN Xiaoyuan¹, CHEN Guanghao², LIU Ziai³, PAN Weihao^1,*

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Abstract

This study is dedicated to the development of a novel fluorine-free superhydrophobic and superoleophilic perlite powder designed for the high-efficiency separation of oil/water mixtures, including challenging oil-in-water emulsions. Its primary objective is to provide a green, cost-effective, and robust solution for critical environmental remediation scenarios such as marine oil spill recovery and the purification of industrial oily wastewater. The fabrication methodology involves a meticulous chemical modification process of natural perlite particles. This process commences with coarse grinding of the raw perlite, followed by a critical surface energy modification step using a stearic acid solution in ethanol. The treated powder is then subject to a controlled high-temperature drying process to ensure stable bonding of the hydrophobic agents, culminating in a final micronization step through secondary grinding to achieve a fine, functionalized powder. This synthesis strategy successfully constructs a hierarchical micro/nanostructure and grafts low-surface-energy groups onto the perlite, contributing to the achievement of the desired wettability. A comprehensive suite of characterization techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), are employed to analyze the surface morphology and elemental composition. Wettability assessments confirm the excellent performance of the modified perlite powder, demonstrating a superhydrophobic state with a water contact angle exceeding 150° and a superoleophilic state with an oil contact angle close to 0°. Crucially, EDS analysis verifies the complete absence of fluorinated compounds, underscoring the environmentally friendly nature of the modification process. For practical application, the superhydrophobic perlite powder is packaged into non-woven fabric filters. Its separation performance is rigorously evaluated through two primary mechanisms: adsorption-driven oil/water separation and filtration-driven oil/water separation. The results are highly promising, showing separation efficiencies consistently above 92% for a diverse range of oil/water mixtures (heavy oil: dichloromethane, light oil: peanut oil, diesel, n-hexane). In addition, the separated water is extracted using carbon tetrachloride and the oil content in the water is tested by FTIR spectroscopy. It can be observed that the oil content in the water after separation from the four different oil/water mixtures is relatively low, indicating that the water obtained by this separation method has high purity. In addition, the separation efficiency is still larger than 90% after 20 times filiation oil/water separation, indicating good stability and reusability. Furthermore, the superhydrophobic/superoleophilic perlite powder exhibits remarkable stability and durability in harsh environmental tests. It maintains high separation efficiency after prolonged exposure to intense mechanical stirring, UV radiation (365 nm, 6 W), elevated temperature (up to 90 ℃), and highly corrosive acidic (pH=1), alkaline (pH=11), and sodium chloride aqueous solution (3.5wt.%). The results confirm its potential for use in real-world applications. A significant achievement of this study is the superhydrophobic/superoleophilic perlite powder's ability to effectively separate oil-in-water emulsions. By leveraging a vigorous stirring process that induces demulsification, the superhydrophobic powder successfully coalesces and captures the dispersed oil droplets. In conclusion, this research successfully fabricates a fluorine-free, superhydrophobic/superoleophilic perlite powder via a simple and scalable chemical modification method. The material exhibits outstanding efficiency, exceptional stability, and superior durability in separating both oil/water mixtures and oil-in-water emulsions. The developed material holds substantial promise for broad applications in emergency marine oil spill response and the treatment of industrial effluents, offering a practical pathway for mitigating water pollution.

Key words

superhydrophobic surface / micro/nanostructure / low surface energy / oil/water separation / oil-in-water emulsion

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OU Jiayu, YU Zhiyi, LI Jie, ZHONG Zihao, ZHAO Chundong, SUN Xiaoyuan, CHEN Guanghao, LIU Ziai, PAN Weihao. Preparation of Fluorine-free Superhydrophobic Perlite Powder and Its Oil/Water Separation Performance[J]. Surface Technology. 2025, 54(21): 133-142 https://doi.org/10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2025.21.010

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