Fabrication and Characterization of Polypropylene Aerogel Material and Aerogel Coated Hybrid Materials for Oil-Water Separation Applications

Preparation and characterization of Polypropylene (PP) aerogel materials and aerogel coated materials with superhydrophobicity for oil-water separation application were investigated. The PP aerogel material and the coated materials were prepared from a solution of PP in xylene solvent (PP sole) by a cooling process, which resulted in the thermally induced phase separation of the polypropylene molecular network and further solvent extraction from the molecular network by a supercritical CO2 drying process. The PP aerogel displayed a porous surface morphology with flower petals like micro-nanoscale structural features. The aerogel materials showed superhydrophobicity with contact angle greater than 150 degrees. Further the aerogel was coated on a polyurethane sponge material and a PP nonwoven fabric materials to prepare hybrid materials having a aerogel surface characteristics. The effectiveness and recyclability of the PP aerogel and the aerogel coated hybrid material for oil-water separation was investigated using model oil solvents. The study revealed the high potential of these materials in oil-water separation applications and these could be inexpensive replacement to the available alternatives.