A New Method to Treat Oily Water Using Rice Husk Ash Onboard Vessel

Abstract

All vessels must have bilge water. The bilge is referred as water come from rough seas, rain, leaks in the hull or other interior spillage. The water that collects in the bilge must be pumped out to prevent the bilge from becoming too full and threatening to sink the ship. Depending on the design of the ship and function, bilge water may contain water, oil, urine, detergents, solvents, chemicals, particles, and other materials. Absorption process is widely being used by various treatment plants, either for treating water or wastewater. The main function of absorption is to remove any contaminants such as heavy metals, organic and inorganic chemicals from it. One of the components of absorption is rice husk ash. The aim of this study is to investigate the suitability of rice husk ash as an absorbent, specifically to absorb oil in bilge water. Zinc chloride was added to the rice husk ash since an activated carbon enhanced absorption capacity. It was found that oil was removed from the water and clear water was produced after the absorption process. Thus, the use of rice husk ash water has proven to be one of the best options for ship-owner in oily water treatment.