US 12,371,350 B2
Method for separating nonpolar compounds from aqueous solutions
Tawfik Abdo Saleh Awadh, Dhahran (SA); and Nadeem Baig, Dhahran (SA)
Assigned to KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Mar. 3, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/117,247.
Application 18/117,247 is a division of application No. 16/521,202, filed on Jul. 24, 2019, granted, now 11,613,479.
Prior Publication US 2023/0249991 A1, Aug. 10, 2023
Int. Cl. C02F 1/28 (2023.01); B01J 20/20 (2006.01); B01J 20/26 (2006.01); B01J 20/28 (2006.01); B01J 20/32 (2006.01); C02F 101/32 (2006.01)
CPC C02F 1/288 (2013.01) [B01J 20/20 (2013.01); B01J 20/261 (2013.01); B01J 20/262 (2013.01); B01J 20/28045 (2013.01); B01J 20/28059 (2013.01); B01J 20/28083 (2013.01); B01J 20/28085 (2013.01); B01J 20/3212 (2013.01); B01J 20/3225 (2013.01); B01J 20/324 (2013.01); B01J 20/327 (2013.01); C02F 1/281 (2013.01); C02F 1/285 (2013.01); C02F 2101/32 (2013.01); C02F 2303/16 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of separating a nonpolar compound from an aqueous solution in a mixture, comprising:
contacting the mixture with a composite material,
wherein the composite material adsorbs 8-25 times its weight of the nonpolar compound;
wherein the composite material comprises:
a polyurethane foam comprising an open-cell structure having an exterior surface and containing pores having an interior pore surface;
a coating layer of reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) on at least 70% of a total of the exterior surface and interior pore surface and in contact with the polyurethane foam; and
a layer of polystyrene in contact with both the surface of the layer of r-GO and directly in contact with the surface of the polyurethane foam, wherein an average thickness of the polystyrene layer is from 500 nm to 4.5 μm; and
wherein the composite material has pore diameters in a range of 50-500 μm.