High-Flux and Robust Co3O4 Mesh for Efficient Oil/Water Separation in Harsh Environment

Material with special wettability for oil/water separation has drawn more and more attention, since the oil spill accidents and industrial processing are growing in frequency and in volume. A superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic mesh was prepared by introducing Co 3 O 4 on a stainless steel mesh, through a simple hydrothermal process and subsequent calcination. The as-prepared Co 3 O 4 mesh can not only separate various oil/water mixtures with high efficiency and high flux, but also work effectively in harsh environment such as highly acidic, alkaline, and salty solutions. Moreover, the Co 3 O 4 mesh can still retain good separation performance after 40 abrasion cycles with sandpaper. The outstanding anticorrosion and antiabrasion behaviors make the Co 3 O 4 mesh promising for oil/water separation even in harsh environment.