Hydrophobic modification of wood membrane via dual silanes in aqueous system: Constructing efficient oil-water separation materials

Abstract

Oil-water separation is a critical challenge in current environmental remediation and industrial production, urgently requiring the development of innovative materials with high efficiency, selectivity and sustainability. In this study, a facile aqueous media dual-silane modification approach is employed to functionalize the wood membrane, thereby preparing a hydrophobic FS-AS@Wood filter. The FS-AS@Wood achieves a stable water contact angle of 140° to 144°, which repels the water and selectively allows oil to pass through. FS-AS@Wood retains exceptional hydrophobicity even when subjected to mechanical and chemical damage, such as continuous sandpaper abrasion and exposure to strong acids and bases, while demonstrating self-cleaning properties. FS-AS@Wood exhibits excellent oil-water interface selectivity, achieving a separation efficiency of 97.8–98.5 % at a flux of 2000–2400 L m⁻² h⁻¹ when processing heavy oil-water mixtures, and maintaining high efficiency and stability even after 40 cyclic operations. For light oil-water mixtures, the adsorption capacity reaches 4–7 times its weight. This study shows that FS-AS@Wood is a promising material for treating oil contaminants from different fields.