Removal of Oil From Water Surface by Novel Composite NSM‐ g ‐P(MMA‐ co ‐BA) Super Oil‐Absorption Resin

NSM‐ g ‐P(MMA‐ co ‐BA) resin with super oil‐absorbent capability was prepared by grafting co‐polymerization using Nitraria seeds meal as filler, methyl‐meth‐acrylate (MMA) and butyl‐acrylate (BA) as monomers, N,N′ ‐methylene‐bis‐acrylamide (MBA) as crosslinker and peroxide‐benzoyl (BPO) as initiator. The structure of obtained products was analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The oil absorbency, reusability, oil‐retention capacity, thermodynamics, and the removal of oil from the surface of 0.9 wt% NaCl solutions were examined further. The results showed that NSM‐ g ‐P(MMA‐ co ‐BA) can absorb lubrication up to 29.6 times of its weight, 24.3 times for colza oil, 22.7 times for diesel, and 21 times for gasoline. The exhausted NSM‐ g ‐P(MMA‐ co ‐BA) can be recollected and recovered through extraction or drying approach. More importantly, the oil sorption capacity of recovered NSM‐ g ‐P(MMA‐ co ‐BA) only has a slight decline after six sorption cycles. The thermodynamic studies indicated that adsorption procedure with complex physical and chemical sorption is spontaneous and exothermic. In general, the present composite resins have exhibited potential applications in cleanup of oil spills because of their good hydrophobicity, lipophilicity, and excellent network structure. Also, the findings of this study might provide a convenient and economic method for fast and selective removal of oil from surface of wastewater. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:1051–1063, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers