Hydrophilic-Oleophobic Membranes Based on Hydrolysis Products of Methoxytrimethylsilane with Additions of Silica Particles

The authors have shown the possibility of obtaining hydrophilic-oleophobic membranes through the application of an oleophobizing compound to a membrane base presented by meshes from stainless steels 100, 200, and 400. The oleophobizing compound is methoxytrimethylsilane from whose hydrolysis oleophobic methyl groups and hydrophilic silanol ones develop which form the type of wettability of a membrane. It has been shown that adding nanostructured silica particles creates surface roughness with an enormous number of pores and channels, which considerably enhances the oleophobicity of synthesized membranes. The resulting membranes exhibit high oleophobicity to organic liquids, letting water pass through their structure. This is promising for their use in the sphere of low-cost gravity separation of water and organic liquids.