Structured cone arrays for continuous and effective collection of micron-sized oil droplets from water

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Abstract

Environmental protection agencies and the petroleum industry require effective methods to separate micron-sized oil droplets from water. However, for most existing separation methods, phase separation occurs in the oil-water mixture. The remaining micron-scale oil droplets, which are not affected by phase separation, are difficult to handle with conventional methods on a large scale because of either a lack of separation ability or drawbacks in throughput capacity. Here we develop an oleophilic array of conical needle structures for the collection of micron-sized oil droplets, inspired by the collection of similar sized water droplets on conical cactus spines. Underwater, these structures mimic cacti and can capture micron-sized oil droplets and continuously transport them towards the base of the conical needles. Materials with this structure show obvious advantages in micron-sized oil collection with high continuity and high throughput. © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited.

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Li, K., Ju, J., Xue, Z., Ma, J., Feng, L., Gao, S., & Jiang, L. (2013). Structured cone arrays for continuous and effective collection of micron-sized oil droplets from water. Nature Communications, 4. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms3276

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