Joule and photothermal heating techniques for oil desorption with techno-economic feasibility and environmental impact analysis

Abstract Joule and photothermal heating offer promising avenues for enhancing oil recovery, desorption, and reusability by reducing the viscosity of highly viscous oils, thereby facilitating their mobility on sorbent surface. This study developed a heatable reduced graphene oxide nanoribbon (r-GONR)-coated polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) oil sorbent to address these viscosity challenges. The application of heating increased oil desorption by approximately 50%, significantly outperforming the conventional PVDF mat. The r-GONR sorbent, leveraging the photothermal effect, demonstrated exceptional reusability, maintaining 40% oil desorption efficiency up to the 10th cycle. Furthermore, its high oil desorption and reusability translated into considerable economic benefits, with a revenue potential of 6.4–29.0 $/m2, alongside significant environmental impact reduction. This study introduces a novel, sustainable approach to oil desorption and reuse, underscoring the practical applications of heatable materials in enhancing oil recovery.