A new kind of oil sorbent based on kapok fiber was prepared by the coating of the mixture of polybutylmethacrylate (PBMA) and hydrophobic silica (SiO2) on fiber surface. The formation of new surface was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The sorption capacities of PBMA/SiO2 coated fiber in pure oil and oil/water mixture, oil uptake rate and reusability were investigated. As-prepared fiber exhibits higher oil sorption capacity than raw fiber in oil/water mixture, with the findings that the growth rate of oil sorption capacity for diesel, soybean oil, crude oil, 150SN, and 20cst reaches approximately 99.7%, 65.0%, 41.1%, 23.1% and 26.8%, respectively. Coated fiber also has excellent reusability, fast oil uptake rate and high buoyancy in the removal of oil on artificial seawater surface. This study may provide a facile method for the preparation of oil sorbent with excellent properties for the removal of oils on water surface. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.