Exploring the Oil/Water Separation Efficiency of PU Foam Modified with Magnetic Graphene Oxide

The removal of oil contaminants and heavy metals from contaminated water has recently become a huge necessity. Magnetic graphene oxide (rGO/Fe3O4) loaded polyurethane foam (PUF) was employed as a scaffold for oil contamination removal in this research. A set of characterization techniques verified the successful formation of the intended magnetic rGO/Fe3O4/PUF/PMMA such as the X-ray diffraction (XRD), High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), Vibrating-Sample Magnetometer (VSM), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), and contact angle. The XRD data demonstrated the existence of the synthesized structure's diffraction planes and corresponding angles. VSM results show that superparamagnetic materials exhibit a high saturation (60 emu/g) and insignificant remanent and coercivity values. The FTIR spectrum illustrates the occurrence of interactions along with the residence of corresponding bands. The SEM results emphasized the porous structure. Contact angle measurements demonstrate angles exceeding 115 degrees which verifies the hydrophobic nature of the studied structure. The rGO/Fe3O4/PUF/PMMA separation efficiency was investigated using various oils such as toluene, vacuum pump oil, chloroform and others. The chloroform separation efficiency is optimal, approaching 99% in a time frame of seconds. The structure's validity for separating contamination from water may lead to a solution for affordable and cost-effective approaches for water treatment applications.