Oil sorption capacity of kapok fiber

Abstract

Kapok fiber (Ceiba Pentandra) is a natural plant fiber that poses excellent hydrophobic-oleophilic characteristics, due to the presence penetrable hollow lumen structure and waxy material on its surface. Different types of oil of different viscosity are employed to test the selectivity nature and the sorption capacity of 1 g fiber. The types of oil used are diesel (low viscosity), palm oil based cooking oil (medium viscosity) and lubricating oil (high viscosity). Kapok fiber managed to absorb all the oil with the lubricating oil is the highest amount absorbed. Following the selectivity test, the morphology of raw kapok fiber and the oil absorbed kapok fibers is analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The fiber that absorbed different types of oils is relatively quite stable as they show little change in morphology compared to the raw kapok. Kapok fiber shows great potential as oil sorbent on any type of oil owing to its excellent hydrophobicity-oleophilicity characteristic.