Poly(vinylidene Fluoride) Sandwiched <i>Calotropis Gigantea</i> 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 <i>Calotropis gigantea</i> fiber (CGF). The resulting PVDF-<i>s</i>-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 &gt;129°, PVDF-<i>s</i>-CGF also shows excellent absorption selectivity for the oils. Finally, PVDF-<i>s</i>-CGF presents good reusability, and the absorption percentage is 84.11% for kerosene after 10 cycles. Therefore, PVDF-<i>s</i>-CGF will exhibit a great potential for large-scale application in oil absorption.