New Hydrophobic Oil Sorbents Based on Silica Aerogels
摘要
Abstract
Improved hydrophobic silica aerogels for oil sorption were synthesized using a two-step sol–gel process. The structure and composition of the obtained aerogels were studied using IR spectroscopy, low-temperature nitrogen adsorption, scanning electron microscopy, and thermal analysis. The functional properties were assessed by studying the sorption kinetics of heavy crude oil and oil capacity, moisture capacity, and water contact angle. It has been shown that the use of different ratios of alkoxides during synthesis makes it possible to vary the textural and sorption characteristics of silica aerogels, which have low moisture capacity (0–1 g/g) and a high sorption rate (the maximum sorption oil capacity of 11.5 g/g is achieved in 10 min).