Activated carbon nanofiber nonwoven for removal of emulsified oil from water

Abstract Activated carbon nanofiber nonwoven (ACNFN) has the potential for being high capacity and throughput sorbent for a variety of contaminants in water due to high porosity and permeability, respectively. In this work, we explore the removal of emulsified oil from water using ACNFNs in both a batch and flow-through mode. The ACNFNs were prepared by pyrolysis of electrospun polyacrylonitrile and characterized for specific surface area, hydrophobicity, and mechanical strength. The ACNFNs exhibit a removal efficiency of up to 95% in batch mode and outperform our control tests with non-activated carbon nanofiber nonwoven and a commercial granular activated carbon. Adsorption tests in a flow-through mode demonstrated characteristic breakthrough behavior with subsequent clogging. Removal efficiency increased with the thickness of the mat and with prolonged operation due to ripening.