Patent ID: 11958036

Abstract:
Freestanding porous polyethylene thin film, and a method for preparing a freestanding porous polyethylene thin film. The method includes dissolving polyethylene in an organic solvent to form a solution under reflux conditions; adding a swellable pocket forming agent to the solution and mixing the solution until the swellable pocket forming agent is well-dispersed therein; applying the well-dispersed solution onto a solid substrate through spin coating to form a thin film on the solid substrate; peeling the thin film off the solid substrate; and extracting the swellable pocket forming agent from the peeled thin film by washing the peeled thin film in water, thereby obtaining a freestanding porous polyethylene thin film with swellable pockets, macro-voids, and micropores. The freestanding porous polyethylene thin film can be used as an oil sorbent. The freestanding porous polyethylene thin film has about 500 to about 800 swellable cavities per cm2.