A research on the preparation of oil-adsorbing hydrophobic porous resins by high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) template

Abstract In this work, hierarchical porous resins (PRs) are fabricated and applied as novel adsorbent for removal of oily substance. The oil/water (o/w) high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs), stabilized by phenolic resin precursor and tween 80, were used as the template for simultaneous polymerization of aqueous phase, methenamine, sodium persulfate and liquid paraffin. Subsequently, dopamine hydrochloride, 1-dodecanethiol and Fe ₃ O ₄ particles are grafted onto the interface of PRs via adhesion of dopamine and Markel addition reaction between quinone groups on dopamine and sulfhydryl groups on 1-dodecanethiol. The as-prepared composites possessed hydrophobicity and magnetic property (HPRs). The physical and chemical properties, morphology and adsorption properties of HPRs are characterized by XRD, FT-IR, TGA, SEM, N ₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms. The as-synthesized HPRs composites had a typical hierarchical porous structure, and the resulted macropores with a well-defined open-cell and interconnecting pore throat structure could be controlled via the composition of the aqueous phase of emulsion. The hierarchical porous structure of HPRs contained macropores ranging from 0.3 μm to 4 μm and mesopores of 11.26 nm. HPRs have rough and hydrophobic surface (water contact angle of 130 ^∘ ) with specific surface area of 15.06 m ² /g and pore volume of 0.0349 cm ³ /g. The oil adsorption rate and the oil retention rate for toluene are 11.765 g/g and 86.43%, respectively. The oil adsorption rate in the first minute can reach more than 80% of the highest oil adsorption rate. The oil adsorption rate of HPRs after three recycling experiments can still reach 87.32%of the first-time oil adsorption rate.