Candle soot-coated egg carton material for oil water separation and detergent adsorption

A hydrophobic and superoleophilic adsorbent was prepared by coating candle soot (CS) on the surface of a recycled egg carton material (ECM). This waste material has been explored as a cost-effective adsorbent to remove oil and detergent from water. The surface of the material was coated with CS solution prepared by mixing soot with acetone and characterized by scanning electron microscopy and contact angle measurements. The rate of fall of contact angle for water and oil was evident of water rejection and oil absorption capability of the coated-waste material. Further, the effect of temperature on the contact angle between water and surface was observed. The carbon-coated ECM demonstrates good absorption capacity with oils of different densities, without pre-treatments and surface modifications. It also shows its capability to absorb detergent from water with a pH value declining towards 7. Thus, a waste material can act as an effective alternative for filtering of oil and detergent water for households and industries.