Abstract
Kapok fiber is a naturally renewable material with large lumen and hydrophobic characteristics, which enables it to show good oil sorption capacity. To further improve the efficiency for oil absorbency, in this study, kapok fiber was treated with various solvents, including water, HCl, NaOH, NaClO2 and chloroform. The structure of untreated and treated kapok fibers was investigated and compared using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The effects of treatment concentration, temperature and time on oil absorbency of kapok fiber were assessed with toluene, chloroform, n-hexane and xylene as the model oils. The results indicate that except for chloroform, kapok fibers treated with other solvents show enhanced oil absorbency. Compared with raw kapok fiber, NaClO2-treated kapok fiber shows the highest oil absorbency, with the increase percentage is found to be 19.8%, 30.0%, 21.5% and 24.1% for toluene, chloroform, n-hexane and xylene, respectively. In addition, the solvent-treated kapok fiber exhibits better reusability, suggesting its great potential for oil recovery.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.