Description:
The oil and gas production related activities increase the risk of marine oil spills. Ocean currents and winds complicate oil spill cleanup by emulsifying the spilled oil. Among various oil/water separation technologies, coalescence is favored due to its chemical-free and environment-friendly process. Coalescing media are made of various materials, which are critical for achieving a high oil removal rate. The healthcare sector uses a large volume of disposable fiber-based plastics, such as bed sheets and face masks. These medical plastics are disposed of as waste and pose a serious threat to the environment. In this study, the concept of turning face mask waste into efficient oil coalescing materials was explored. A functional polymer was coated on the face mask substrates using a low-cost and facile method. The modified materials’ physical and chemical properties were enhanced for coalescing oil droplets. A proof of concept study with the waste materials as coalescer was conducted for oil spill cleanup. The new coalescer exhibits around 85% oil removal efficiency under different oil types and water salinities. The results from this study align with the focus of a circular economy where waste can be directly transformed into a beneficial resource