A Comprehensive Analysis of the Efficacy of Iron based Meshes and Iron Powder Layer in Oil Water Separation

Abstract

The oil pollution problems are on the rise due to rapid industrial development. Petrochemical units, metal fabrication units, workshops, etc., are some of the main sources of oily wastewater. The oily wastewater may be fatal to surface water and groundwater resources, jeopardise the aquatic system and human health. The oil biodegradability in natural system is low, and oily ingredients may impede biological activities in the ecosystem. Thus, there is a rising concern due to the detrimental consequences of oily wastewater discharge on the ecology. The conventional methods like gravity separation, flotation, biodegradation, etc., have been used to reduce oily pollution. But the limitations such as complicated design, complex, slow, and energy intensive process nature hinder their progress. Presently, material with special wettability is gaining attention. Superhydrophilic materials have the special wettability of allowing water to pass through them and retain oil, enabling oil-water separation. Simple separation device and convenient operation procedure along with short time and less energy intense process are some of the merits of this method, which make it one of the best techniques for oil-water separation. newlineSurface chemistry and morphology have direct influence on wettability. Generally, the material with this special wettability can be fabricated by modification of the topography of the surface and chemical nature of highly porous substrate materials to attain coarse structures with high surface energy. The superhydrophilic materials can be made either by coating the substrate or slightly altering natural/waste materials to achieve sufficient roughness with the necessary surface energy. The solution immersion method is a simple approach to fabricate superhydrophilic material, which generally involves immersion of the substrate in a coating solution, then drawing out from the solution and thereafter letting it dry. The oil-water separation layer can be prepared from natural/waste material after simple refining