Oil Removal Using Diethyl Ether Extracted and Ground Kenaf Core

Abstract

Kenaf core was tested for its ability to sorb diesel oil from the pure diesel oil bath and the diesel oil containing water bath after extracting with diethyl ether to remove wax from fiber surface, grinding to disrupt lumen structure and presoaking in water. Oil sorption capacity was the highest as 8.0 g/g in diethyl ether extracted fiber in oil bath, and the lowest as 1.3 g/g in water soaked kenaf core in water bath. Diesel oil sorption capacity was much higher in oil bath than in water bath. In diethyl ether extraction the diesel oil sorption capacity was not changed much in kenaf core, compared to that of control. Also, even after grinding and passing through 20 mesh screen (0.86mm) the diesel oil sorption capacity was almost same. When kenaf core was presoaked in water the oil sorption capacity was decreased to about half of control as 1.3g/g in water bath. Grinding, extracting and water presoaking all contributed to the changes in oil sorption capacity. The results show that if in lignocelluloscic fiber like kenaf core the fiber structure is not disrupted during processing and the intact lumen structure can be kept, the oil sorption capacity may not be affected much by physical and chemical changes.