Poly(vinylidene Fluoride) Sandwiched Calotropis Gigantea Fiber: A Reusable Oil Sorbent with High-efficiency

A reusable oil sorbent was prepared via a facile phase inversion method by using poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) to assist the shape formation of Calotropis gigantea fiber (CGF). The resulting PVDF-s-CGF with PVDF:CGF of 3:2 (weight ratio) shows not only high structural stability but also good oil-absorbing capacity (18.81 g/g for carbon tetrachloride). With the water contact angles >129°, PVDF-s-CGF also shows excellent absorption selectivity for the oils. Finally, PVDF-s-CGF presents good reusability, and the absorption percentage is 84.11% for kerosene after 10 cycles. Therefore, PVDF-s-CGF will exhibit a great potential for large-scale application in oil absorption.