Polyimide composite aerogel for efficient oil-water separation

Polyimide aerogel （PIA） possesses excellent thermal stability， remarkable mechanical properties， and good dielectric performance， etc.， and is extensively applied in domains such as aerospace， electronic communication， and adsorption cleaning. Nevertheless， the high shrinkage rate and inferior hydrophobic performance of PIA significantly impact its practical application. Herein， This study meticulously design the molecular structure of polyimide and integrates it with a composite filling process to fabricate a composite aerogel characterized by a low shrinkage rate and superior hydrophobicity. This innovative material is specifically tailored for efficient oil-water separation， aiming to enhance the anti-shrinkage and hydrophobic characteristics of polyimide aerogels （PIA）. ACF/PIA-10 has superior dimensional stability （with the shrinkage up to 12.7%）， high mechanical properties （with the compression strength up to 2.36 MPa），outstanding moisture resistance （with the contact angle up to 111°） and excellent thermal stability （with T5% up to 519 ℃ in nitrogen）. The addition of activated carbon fibers not only enhances the mechanical properties of the material but also optimizes its pore structure. The composite aerogel exhibits a high adsorption capacity for oils， which makes it have considerable application prospects in the field of adsorption cleaning.