Natural Recyclable High-efficiency Oil-water Separation and Interfacial Dye Adsorption Material: Duck down Fiber

Present study reports the application potential of a natural down fiber in the fields of oil-water separation and interfacial dye adsorption. The dripping experiment shows that the blue water droplets can maintain a spherical shape on the surface of the fiber with a contact angle of 155.8°, while the contact angle of oils was 0°, indicating that the fiber has superhydrophobic and ultralipophilic characteristics. Further studies reveal that this fiber has excellent absorption capacities for various oils with 120.11 g/g (vacuum pump oil), 102.11 g/g (heat transfer oil), 99.27 g/g (engine oil), and oil retention capacities after 24 hours with 94.51%, 94.29% and 92.14% respectively. The oil absorption ratios after ten cycles of use are respectively 52.75%, 60.30%, 64.79% of the initial value. More importantly, as an oil-water separation and interfacial adsorption material, down fiber with a separation efficiency as high as 97.7% and dye removal efficiency are 88.70% (Methylene blue) and 88.39% (Rhodamine B). Therefore, this natural fiber can be used as a recyclable oil-water separation and adsorption material to protect water resources.