Surface Modification of Stainless-Steel Membrane using a Closed-Batch iCVD Reactor for Oil/Water Separation

Oil-spill is one of the major global issues facing society in this century. The aim of this study was to develop a steel-based membrane for selective separation of oil from oil/water mixture. For this purpose, a single-step, rapid and environmentally friendly closed-batch initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) method was employed to deposit hydrophobic thin film on a stainless-steel mesh. Perfluorodecyl acrylate (PFDA) and tert-butyl peroxide (TBPO) were used as monomer and initiator, respectively. Owing to the inherent vapor-based nature of iCVD method provided excellent conformal coverage on the mesh with high durability. iCVD coated mesh showed 96% oil/water separation efficiency. Highly reproducible results were obtained when the oil/water separation experiments were repeated.