Preparation of Hydrophobic/Oleophilic Keratin/Cellulose Composite Cryogel for Effective Removal of Oily Pollutants from Water

In order to solve the oily wastewater problems caused by frequent oil spill accidents and industrial production, hydrophobic/oleophilic absorbent materials have been at the forefront of research to be used in oil/water separation. Herein, for the first time, a facile and green strategy was developed to prepare hydrophobic keratin/cellulose (Ker/Cell)-based composite cryogel. Ker/Cell based cryogel was prepared from chicken feather and cardboard wastes using (Bmim⁻Cl⁺) ionic liquid green solvent via regeneration, simply by the freeze-drying method. After being treated with hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) via plasma polymerization process, the obtained Ker/Cell has displayed both hydrophobic and oleophilic behavior. In particular, the plasma hydrophobic modification was significantly rapid (10 min), powerful, and cost-effective. Successful plasma functionalization on the surface of Ker/Cell cryogel was confirmed by a variety of techniques including FTIR, XPS, SEM, and WCA measurement. More importantly, the prepared hydrophobic Ker/Cell cryogel exhibits good and fast absorption capacity in only 30 s (from 4 to 14 g/g) toward various types of oil and organic solvents. Therefore, this renewable, biodegradable, and ecofriendly oil sorbent could be considered as a promising candidate for oil/water separation.