Applications and advantages of nanocellulose oil-water separation material superhydrophobic sponge aerogel

With the rapid development of industrial production and marine transportation, oil spill control and 、industrial oily wastewater treatment have become a key problem in the field of environmental protection. Traditional oil-water separation materials have shortcomings such as low adsorption efficiency, non-degradability, and prone to secondary pollution, and cannot meet the current dual needs of green environmental protection and resource recycling. Superhydrophobic / superoleophilic nanocellulose sponges and superhydrophobic / superoleophilic nanocellulose aerogels , as core products for environmentally friendly applications of nanocellulose, have become the preferred solution to oil and water pollution with their advantages of natural environmental protection, efficient separation, and recyclability. They are widely used in many fields such as marine oil spills, industrial wastewater, and high-end protection. As a professional enterprise deeply involved in the field of nanocellulose, Nanjing Tianlu Nanotechnology Co., Ltd. is located in Jiangning District, Nanjing, the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties. It focuses on the research and development, production and sales of nanocellulose series products. Relying on 25000a square meter modern production base, advanced production lines and professional R&D teams, it is in the field of superhydrophobicity / Super lipophilic nanocellulose sponges and aerogels have mature technology and mass production capabilities. This article combines the technical strength of Nanjing Tianlu to analyze the characteristics, preparation processes and application scenarios of this type of materials in detail, helping the industry understand the core value and industrialization capabilities of nanocellulose oil-water separation materials.

Core characteristics of superhydrophobic / superoleophilic nanocellulose sponges and aerogels

Super hydrophobic / super lipophilic nanocellulose sponges and aerogels are made from natural cellulose (wood, straw, cotton, etc.) through nano-level extraction and professional surface modification. The core advantages are concentrated in the two dimensions of ' environmental protection ' and ' separation efficiency ' , which perfectly meet the current environmental protection policies and industry needs:

1. Super hydrophobic and lipophilic properties: water contact angle > 150° and rolling angle < 10° , which can achieve complete water repellency and non-absorption, avoid material collapse, and quickly infiltrate the oil phase to achieve efficient separation of oil and water phases. The separation efficiency far exceeds traditional activated carbon, synthetic polymer sponge and other materials.

2. Natural, environmentally friendly and degradable: Relying on the natural properties of nanocellulose ( CNF/CNC/BNC ), the product is completely biodegradable without secondary pollution. It is in line with the ' double carbon ' goal and the concept of green and environmentally friendly development, and can replace traditional non-degradable oil-water separation materials.

3. Efficient adsorption and recyclability: the adsorption capacity of nanocellulose sponge can reach 19.5~55.3 times its own mass , and the adsorption capacity of nanocellulose aerogel for organic solvents can reach up to 489g/g ; after adsorbing the oil phase, the oil phase can be recovered by extrusion and baking. The material can be reused 20more than once, and the adsorption capacity decreases by only 4.9%~14.3% , reducing the cost of use.

4. Multi-scenario adaptability: lightweight design (airgel density as low as 10~35mg/cm³ ), can float on the water surface and adapt to marine oil spill scenarios; it can still maintain stable performance in harsh environments such as acid, alkali, salt, etc., and is suitable for various industrial oily wastewater treatment, with a wide range of applications.

Preparation process of superhydrophobic / superoleophilic nanocellulose sponge and aerogel

The product preparation process is precise and controllable. The core is divided into three steps : ' nanocellulose extraction + substrate molding + surface modification '. Taking into account product performance and large-scale production needs, it is the key to the industrialization of nanocellulose materials :

1. Nanocellulose extraction: Using natural cellulose as raw material, high-purity nanocellulose ( CNF/CNC/BNC ) is extracted through physical grinding, chemical treatment, etc., retaining its core characteristics of high specific surface area and excellent mechanical properties, laying the foundation for subsequent modification.

2. Substrate molding: Different processes are adopted according to the difference in product form - nanocellulose sponge is prepared by template method, freeze-drying method or foaming method to form a three-dimensional porous network with uniform pore size ( 100μm~500μm ) to ensure rapid penetration and storage of oil phase; nanocellulose aerogel uses freeze-drying or supercritical drying technology to construct a larger specific surface area ( 200~450m²/g ) and finer pore size ( 35~70μm ) )'s lightweight porous structure improves adsorption performance.

3. Surface modification (core step): The super-hydrophobic / super-oleophilic properties of the material are achieved through two mainstream methods: chemical grafting or physical modification. Chemical grafting grafts hydrophobic and lipophilic groups such as long-chain silane and stearic acid onto the surface of nanocellulose to reduce surface energy; physical modification involves coating and depositing paraffin and other low surface energy substances, which is easy to operate, has low energy consumption, and is suitable for large-scale production. Nanjing Tianlu Nanotechnology Co., Ltd. relies on its independently developed modification process to optimize the ' mechanical dissociation + mild oxidation ' preparation process, develop simplified processes, and effectively reduce preparation costs. At the same time, it relies on its own patented technology (such as a Tempo oxidized nanocellulose composite gel material and preparation method) to ensure stable product performance and promote the industrialization of super-hydrophobic / super-oleophilic nanocellulose materials . It can stably supply various specifications of products and support gram-level to ton-level order requirements.

Application scenarios of superhydrophobic / superoleophilic nanocellulose sponges and aerogels

Relying on unique core properties, superhydrophobic / superoleophilic nanocellulose sponges and aerogels have been applied in multiple industries and scenarios, focusing on the core needs of oil-water separation and extending diversified application values, as follows:

Marine oil spill control applications

In response to environmental emergencies such as marine oil spills and ship oil spills, nanocellulose aerogels and sponges can float on the water surface and quickly absorb various oil substances such as crude oil, diesel, and gasoline. Emergency treatment can be completed quickly without the need for complicated equipment. Its high adsorption capacity and recyclability can not only reduce the waste of petroleum resources, but also reduce the cost of emergency treatment. At the same time, it can be prepared using agricultural waste straw as raw material to realize the utilization of waste resources, which is in line with the concept of green environmental protection.

Industrial oily wastewater treatment applications

It is suitable for the treatment of oily wastewater in mechanical processing, petrochemical, food processing, metallurgy and other industries. It can efficiently separate floating oil, emulsified oil and various organic solvents in wastewater. The separation efficiency is > 96% . The separation efficiency of some products for surfactant-stabilized oil-water emulsion can reach 99.94% . Under the action of gravity, the water flux can reach 91L·m⁻²·h⁻¹ . There is no need to add chemical reagents and no secondary pollution. The treated water quality can meet the discharge standards. At the same time, the recovered oil phase can be recycled, achieving the dual benefits of ' pollution control + resource recovery ' . In addition, its porous structure can also simultaneously absorb heavy metal ions such as lead and copper in wastewater, further improving the effect of wastewater treatment. The super-hydrophobic produced by Nanjing Tianlu Nanotechnology Co., Ltd. / super-oleophilic nanocellulose sponges and aerogels use non-wood fibers such as corn straw as raw materials. They are green and environmentally friendly, have high product purity and stable performance. They have been widely used in various industrial oily wastewater treatment scenarios and have been recognized by downstream companies.

Diversified extension applications

In addition to the core oil-water separation scenario, superhydrophobic / superoleophilic nanocellulose sponges and aerogels have also been extended to many high-end fields:

High-end protection: As an oil-proof coating for industrial equipment and an anti-biological adhesion coating on the bottom of ships, it can reduce oil pollution adhesion and marine life growth, and reduce equipment loss and maintenance costs;

New energy field: As an oil-absorbing buffer material for lithium batteries and supercapacitors, it can avoid safety hazards caused by electrolyte leakage and improve equipment safety;

Food industry: used for oil adsorption and graded recovery during food processing to improve product quality and reduce resource waste;

Medical field: After special modification, it can be used as a wound oil-absorbing dressing with antibacterial and breathable properties, extending the biomedical application scenarios of nanocellulose.

Development prospects of superhydrophobic / superoleophilic nanocellulose materials

With the continuous tightening of environmental protection policies and the advancement of the ' double carbon ' goal, the market demand for green and environmentally friendly oil-water separation materials continues to rise. Super-hydrophobic / super-oleophilic nanocellulose sponges and aerogels , as new materials that are naturally renewable, efficient and recyclable, have become an industry trend in replacing traditional non-degradable materials.

In the future, Nanjing Tianlu Nanotechnology Co., Ltd. will continue to deepen technological innovation, optimize the preparation process of super-hydrophobic / super-oleophilic nanocellulose sponges and aerogels, develop fluorine-free environmentally friendly modification technology, reduce production costs, improve material mechanical properties and recycling times; at the same time, relying on its own production capacity advantages and industry-university-research cooperation resources, strengthen cooperation with environmental protection, petroleum, new energy In-depth integration of sources and other industries will expand more subdivided application scenarios and promote the large-scale and high-end development of nanocellulose oil-water separation materials . With professional products and services, we will provide green innovative solutions for global water body oil pollution control, help the sustainable development of the ecological environment, and practice the corporate goal of ' promoting the application of nanocellulose in all walks of life . '

As an enterprise focusing on the research and development, production and sales of nanocellulose, Nanjing Tianlu Nanotechnology Co., Ltd. has spot inventory, supports customized solutions, and can provide one-stop services from product testing, parameter adjustment to industrial cooperation. If you need to know the specific parameters, customized solutions or industrial cooperation of super-hydrophobic / super-oleophilic nanocellulose sponges and aerogels, you can contact Nanjing Tianlu at any time to obtain professional technical support and product services, and work together to promote green upgrades in the field of environmental protection.