Kinetic and thermodynamic studies on the removal of oil from water using superhydrophobic kapok fiber.

Abstract

In this paper, an oil sorbent based on superhydrophobic kapok fiber fabricated by the sol-gel method was used for the selective sorption of oil from the surface of artificial seawater. The effects of process parameters such as seawater pH, seawater temperature, and contact time on the extent of oil sorption were investigated. The as-prepared fiber showed higher oil sorption capacity than raw fiber in both the trenchant acid and alkaline seawater environment. Results of the kinetic studies show that the sorption process follows pseudo-second-order reaction kinetics. The thermodynamic investigations demonstrate that the sorption process is spontaneous and endothermic. In addition, the as-prepared fiber can float on the water surface after the sorption of oil, which facilitates the post-processing of oil-loaded fiber. The modified fiber might provide a simple method for the removal and collection of oil on the water surface.