Oil Spill Cleanup from Sea Water by Porous Sorbents

Abstract

Sorbents were produced on the basis of rice husk, rubber crump and apricot stone by carbonization. They all possessed a high sorption capacity for oil and oil products. With the use of these sorbents an oil overflow was experimentally removed from the surface of the river Syrdarya (Kyzylorda). Results showed that the oil sorption capacities of carbonized rice husk, rubber crumb and apricot stone were 18, 14 and 7 g/g, respectively. The material obtained by carbonization of rice husk has very good buoyancy characteristics, high oil sorption capacity and high hydrophobicity. The effects of contact time, water temperature, amount and type of sorbents on the oil sorption capacity of the carbonized sorbents were further studied on the basis of microstructure and morphology using optical digital microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results of the SEM and optical microscopy studies strongly indicate that carbonization is a suitable method for improving the porous structure of the sorbents particles compared to the virgin samples. This research provides the basis for the development of a new environmental material with optimal characteristics, providing efficient sorption of oil and oil products from an aqueous medium.