Hydrophobic melamine sponge for water-oil separator application

In this research, the melamine sponge was coated using different materials of Candelilla wax, magnetite (Fe3O4) particles, and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) to be used as a water-oil separator. The coating process was conducted to modify the melamine sponge’s surface into a hydrophobic surface that could act as an oleophilic surface. The oil stick to the melamine surface and the water repellent; thus, the oil and the water could be separated. The melamine sponge was characterized to analyze its microstructure, contact angle, and density. The image analysis using a 3D optical microscope suggested that the average pore size is 130 µm. The contact angle analysis using the same equipment proposed that the optimum value is 136° by adding 0.3 g of Candelilla wax. The melamine sponge density measurement confirmed that the density is low (110 mg/cm3) and suitable for the water and oil separator application.