Abstract
Clean drinking water has been a vital topic of research in modern world, this makes efficient water purification as the latest demand. The research and development in the field of filtration technology has revitalize considerable awareness in different engineered methods and nanomaterials. In this work, a hydrophobic composite fibers was successfully prepared by incorporating ZnO nanofiller into polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) using an electrospinning method for organic dye degradation and oil absorption applications. The hydrothermal method was used to prepare pure ZnO. The structural properties of PVDF/ZnO composite fibers and pure ZnO were studied using the X-ray diffraction technique (XRD). The SEM image of pure ZnO shows a flower-like structure and the composites exhibited the structure of the fibers. The average fiber diameter of the pure PVDF fiber was around 625 nm and the PVDF/ZnO composite fiber was around 485 nm, respectively. Finally, the prepared fibers were tested for oil absorption and the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes. The photocatalytic activity of PVDF/ZnO was evaluated by the degradation of Azocarmine G (AZG) and Malachite green (MG) dye under sunlight irradiation. The results showed that 85 % of AZG and 90 % of MG dye could be degraded within 120 min and 240 min. It was found that the PVDF/ZnO composite fiber was hydrophobic (135 degrees) under water. Good oil absorption efficiency (115 %) was achieved using PVDF/ZnO composite fibers. The results shows that the prepared composite fibers can be used to absorb oil and degrade organic contaminants. This cost-effective, easy operation, reusability, and efficiency of the PVDF/ZnO fiber mats could be potentially useful for water treatment and oil recovery.