Oil sorption behaviors of porous polydimethylsiloxane modified collagen fiber matrix

A facial and cost-effective synthesis method of converting the leather protein solid wastes into a value-added collagen matrix oil sorbent is successfully established for the first time. Hide powder fiber (HPF) was firstly prepared by using the pre-tanned fleshing wastes from the leather industry, and then cross-linked with epoxy-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to produce hydrophobic collagen fiber, which was verified by the FT-IR spectrum and contact angle analysis. Subsequently, a series of porous PDMS modified collagen-based sorbents with roughness surface was successfully fabricated by solvent- and freeze-drying methods respectively. The oil sorption capacity, sorption saturated time and retention capacity of the prepared sorbents was investigated. Combined with the SEM images, liquid displacement method and contact angle analysis, the results revealed that oil sorption capacities of the sorbent with lower pore size, higher porosity and rougher surface for silicone oil, motor oil and vegetable oil were approximate to 13.60, 12.50, and 11.92 g/g, respectively. Additionally, the sorption of oils is a quasi-instantaneous process and also showed excellent oil retention capacity. It exhibited acceptable oil sorption performances as compared to commercial biomass sorbents. These findings indicated its potential as an eco-friendly oil sorbent material. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42727.