This study investigates how sintering temperature affects phase evolution, titanium carbide (TiC) formation, and oil-repellent performance in TiO2–carbon-coated 304 stainless-steel mesh for oil–water separation applications. Coated meshes sintered at 400, 500, 600, 700, and 800 °C were evaluated using gravity-driven oil permeation tests with 5W-20 motor oil and oil contact-angle measurements, while coating morphology, composition, and phase evolution were characterized by SEM, EDS, and XRD. Sintering temperature strongly influenced coating structure and wettability. Among the tested conditions, the mesh sintered at 600 °C showed the highest oil contact angle (105°) and the highest initial oil retention efficiency (80%), indicating the most favorable balance between oleophobicity and coating stability within the tested range. XRD analysis showed that 600 °C corresponded to the onset of the anatase-to-rutile transition and the initial formation of TiC. These results suggest that intermediate sintering temperatures can provide a favorable balance between retention of beneficial anatase content and enhanced interfacial interaction within the TiO2–carbon coating. Within the tested conditions, 600 °C was the best-performing sintering condition among the temperatures examined for this coating system.
Laguana et al. (Mon,) studied this question.