Due to their applicability as a selective barrier, porous materials with modified surface have been presented as an alternative for the attention of oil spills in water sources. For this application, surface treatment seeks both the maximization of the surface area and the formation of a low energy layer. In order to achieve an effect as a selective barrier useful in the separation of oil-water mixes with future application in collecting oil spills, this work presents aluminum foams treated with sodium hydroxide and immersion in dodecanoic acid to achieve pickling and loss of surface energy, respectively. Treatment efficiency was evaluated by BET method and contact angle measurements with results consistent with hydrophobic materials. Pore sizes of 425, 850, and 1200 ¿m were used to evaluate the hydrophobicity condition for separation of water /oil mixtures under static and dynamic conditions, reporting oil recovery efficiencies greater than 98%.