Oil Spill Removal Research Articles

Preparation of robust superhydrophobic stainless steel mesh for Oil-Water separation through Mn-Assisted control of one-step electrodeposited Zn growth

Removing oil spills from water presents a significant challenge in environmental remediation. Among various separation materials available, superhydrophobic materials have emerged as promising solutions, notable for their efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and eco-friendliness. The precise control of micro/nanostructure synthesis plays an essential role in creating superhydrophobic surfaces. Herein, the present study demonstrates controlled growth of well-defined hexagonal platelet-like micro/nanostructures of zinc crystals. This is achieved through deliberate manipulation of the electrodeposition crystal growth process, a facet frequently disregarded in previous studies. Notably, the present work, based on the distinctive properties of the Zn hexagonal close-packed structure (hcp), focuses on the effects of incorporating Mn and deposition parameters on the performance of Zn coatings. These findings offer valuable insights into selectively constructing Zn crystal planes for future electrodeposition endeavors. The resulting zinc/manganese stearate (SZM) coating on stainless steel mesh (SSM) shows remarkable water contact angles, reaching an impressive 163.1 ± 2.4°, in accordance with the Cassie-Baxter theory. This feature facilitates highly efficient oil–water separation. Coupled with size sieving of SSM, SZM coatings exhibit an oil–water separation efficiency of up to 99.86 % and a flux as high as 55.58 kL/m2h. Furthermore, the SZM coating exhibits long-lasting superhydrophobicity and exceptional corrosion resistance, even when subjected to challenging conditions such as high temperatures up to 200℃, pressure reaching 7 kg/cm2, or exposure to chemical and mechanical stresses. These enduring properties make SZM coatings suitable for constructing gravity-based and continuous oil–water separation systems, establishing them as a practical solution for diverse oil–water separation applications.

Removal of oil spills from aqueous systems by polymer sorbents

Removal of oil spills from aqueous systems by polymer sorbents

Thermogravimetric and petrocollecting and petrodispersing study of the surfactants synthesized from the reaction of N1-(2-Aminoethyl)ethane- 1,2-diamine with fatty acids having different carbon chain length

In this scientific-research work, surfactants were synthesized from three different fatty acids, dodecanoic, tetradecanoic and hexadecanoic acid, with the participation of N1-(2-Aminoethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine and many of their properties were comparatively analyzed. The structure and composition of the obtained compounds were identified by IR and UV spectroscopy. In addition, the thermal characteristics of the complexes and the mass changes during the processes caused by the influence of temperature were studied by TG, DTA analysis. The thermal properties were studied in the “STA 449 F3” Jupiter (Germany, “NETZSCH”) synchronous thermoanalyzer, in the thermoprogrammed dynamic mode in an inert (nitrogen) environment in the range of 20–600 oC, starting from room temperature and increasing the temperature at a rate of 10 oC/min. Finally, in order to investigate the use of surfactants in the removal of oil spills from a water basin, petrocollecting and petrodispersing properties were studied in three different water samples with different salinity and mineralization. From the moment surfactant is issued, observations are made, the surface area of the oil slick is measured at certain time intervals and the value of K is calculated. When the crude oil layer is dispersed, the water surface cleaning coefficient (Kd) is measured as a percentage at certain time intervals.

Modification of polyurethane foams with zinc sulfide nanoparticles and their novel composites with multani mitti and charcoal for oil spill cleanup.

With the rapid growth of the automobile industry, the excessive number of industrial pollutants, particularly oil spills, has become a huge threat to the natural environment. Therefore, an environmentally benign and sustainable solution is required for an effective oil spill cleanup. To enhance the sorption capacity of pristine polyurethane (PU) foam used in oil spill cleanup, ZnS nanoparticles were deposited on PU foam via a coprecipitation approach. Additionally, the effect of Fuller's earth, locally known as Multani Mitti (MM), and charcoal (CC) on the sorption properties of the PU foam were investigated and compared. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was used as a binder during the modification procedure. The morphology, chemical composition, and thermal stability of ZnS/MM/PVA- and ZnS/CC/PVA-modified PU sorbents were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray photon spectroscopy (XPS). The modified PU foam exhibited outstanding properties including a high sorption capacity, high selectivity to different types of used oils such as vegetable oil, hydraulic oil, lube oil, and gear oil, and superior reusability in comparison to pristine PU foam. ZnS/CC/PVA has a sorption capacity of 16.78 g g-1 while ZnS/MM/PVA exhibited a sorption capacity of 16 g g-1. In addition, after 10 cycles of oil sorption-squeezing experiments, the oil sorption capacity remained unchanged, and the absorbed used oil could be removed and collected by an easy squeezing procedure prior to reuse. This work reveals that the ZnS/CC/PVA- and ZnS/MM/PVA-modified PU foams have a promising potential for oil spill removal and environmental protection.

Highly efficient and reusable polyacrylonitrile-based nanocomposite sorbents for oil spill removal

Nanostructured porous materials are desirable sorbents for separating and removing oil spills from water. This work examines the performance of the prepared efficient sorbents in the oil sorption process. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers served as the skeleton matrix, while glutaraldehyde and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) served as cross-linking agents. The prepared polymer sorbents showed high adsorption capacity (12.47 g/g), porosity (95.41%) and low density (0.069 g/cm3). The incorporation of carbon nanostructures (nanotubes or graphene oxide) in the sorbent increased the adsorption capacity to 14.85 g/g. The hydrophobic nature of carbon nanotubes significantly increases the contact angle of water with the surface of the nanocomposite absorber and reaches 137.5 degrees. The obtained sorbents showed good reusability in the adsorption process and maintained an adsorption capacity of about 10 g/g after 5 cycles. The optimal temperature range for using nanocomposite sorbents was 25°C to 35°C. The combination of high sorption capacity, low porosity and density in modified polyacrylonitrile, along with its reusability, makes this designed sorbent highly suitable for efficient removal of oil spills.

Synthesis of Activated Charcoal from Coconut Shell for the Removal of Crude Oil Spill

Crude oil spills have devastating effects on the environment, particularly aquatic ecosystems. The purpose of the present research is to determine whether dry coconut shells can be used as raw materials to make activated charcoal (AC) via pyrolysis and whether they can be utilized as natural sorbents to clean up crude oil spills. The UV-Vis spectrum of the synthesized CSAC shows distinct peaks at 230 and 260 nm, whereas the activated charcoal exhibits peaks at 231 and 261 nm. The FTIR spectra of the synthesized CSAC reveal a medium broad absorption peak at 3307.2 cm⁻¹, while the raw coconut shell's FTIR spectra show a medium sharp peak at 2945.3 cm⁻¹. The SEM images highlight the unique structural properties of CSAC, showcasing high porosity, varied pore sizes, rough surface topography, and the presence of micropores and mesopores. The chemical activation significantly increased the hydrophobicity of the adsorbent, creating CSAC with a much better adsorption capacity for crude oil removal, having a maximum adsorption capacity of 4840.0 mg/g and the highest percentage of crude oil removal at 99.9985%, as proven by batch experiments for different adsorbent dosages. The batch experimental results indicated that the percentage of crude oil removal increased with an increase in adsorbent dosage and contact time. Based on the correlation coefficients (R²) values (close to unity), it was generally observed that the plots match the Freundlich isotherm better than the Langmuir isotherm model. These findings have made the synthetic CSAC an attractive, useful, and environmentally friendly adsorbent.

Formulation and Optimization of Effective Oil Spill Dispersants Composed of Surface-Active Ionic Liquids and Nonionic Surfactants.

The use of chemical dispersants to remove oil spills in aquatic environments raises serious concerns, including heightened toxicity and limited biodegradability, which diminish their effectiveness. This study aimed to develop an environmentally friendly formulation by combining two nonionic surfactants (Tween 80, Span 80) with two surface-active ionic liquids (SAILs): 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium lauroyl sarcosinate [Bmim][Lausar] and choline myristate [Cho][Mys], to remediate crude oil spill. The performance of the formulation was evaluated by its emulsion stability, surface tension, interfacial tension (IFT), and effectiveness. The toxicity and biodegradability of the formulation were also assessed to ensure their safe application in aquatic environments. The formulation (F9) exhibited the most stable emulsion, maintaining stability even after 5 h with a critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 3.52 mM. The efficiency of the formulation in dispersing various crude oils (Arab, Ratawi, and Doba) ranged from 70.12 to 93.72%. Acute toxicity tests conducted on zebrafish demonstrated that the formulation, with an LC50 value of 450 mg L-1, exhibited practically nontoxicity after 96 h. The formulation showed rapid biodegradability, exceeding 60% within a 28-day testing period. This research presents a promising approach for synthesizing the green formulation which can contribute to mitigating the environmental impacts of oil spills and enhancing the efficiency of cleanup operations.

A novel cost-effective kapok fibers and regenerated cellulose-based carbon aerogel for continuous oil/water separation

The development of cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and reusable superabsorbent materials for removing oil spills from water presents significant challenges. Herein, a novel, cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and reusable carbon aerogel (KRxCA) was synthesized by combining kapok fibers (KF) with hardwood pulp regenerated cellulose, dissolving in a mixture of N-methyl morpholine-N-oxide monohydrate (NMMO) and deep eutectic solvent (DES), which is named co-solvent DNS. This carbon aerogel presents remarkable compressibility, elasticity, and fatigue resistance, maintaining maximum stress after 100 cycles at 50 % strain due to its three-dimensional network of carbonized hollow tubular KF fixed by carbonized regenerated cellulose. The water contact angle (144.7°) indicates the excellent hydrophobicity of the KR10CA, demonstrating the potential for efficient oil/water separation. The resulting ultra-light (3.78 mg cm−3) and high porous (98.9 %) KR10CA exhibits exceptional oil sorption capacity (137.5–371.7 g⋅g−1) and retains 89.3 % of its sorption capacity after ten extrusion cycles. Additionally, as a filter membrane, the KR10CA effectively separates n-hexane from water with a high flux rate (21972.7 L m-2h−1). Therefore, the carbon aerogel derived from renewable resources presents itself as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly oil/water separator for practical application.

Efficient adsorbents for oil spill removal using a cellulose acetate-based natural fibers developed by zinc oxide bionanocomposites

Due to the rising use of crude oil and its derivatives, there is a growing apprehension over the contamination of aquatic environments by oil. Hence, it is important to devise efficient methodologies and substances for the purpose of cleansing and eliminating oil from the surroundings. This work aimed to create an environmentally acceptable oil sorbent by combining cellulose acetate (CA) biopolymer with varied amounts of natural date palm fiber (DPF) (10, 20, and 30 wt %) and modifying the surface with ZnO nanoparticles at various ratios (2, 5, 10, and 20 wt %). This study examines the adsorption capabilities of untreated diesel particulate filters (DPF) and modified DPFs for diesel oil. The results showed that the experimental maximum sorption capacity of the composite material, DPF-CA/ZnO, made using CA polymer with 30 wt % DPF and 10 wt % ZnO nanomaterials, was significantly higher (66.4 mg/g) than that of the raw DPF (26.5 mg/g). The fabricated materials were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (DTA-TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis (BET). Isothermal studies demonstrated that the adsorption of oil followed the Langmuir and Dubinin‐Radushkevich models, with R2 values of 0.99 and 0.93, and the calculated maximum adsorption capacities (qcal) from these models were 64.6 mg/g and 65.7 mg/g, respectively. Furthermore, the kinetic studies revealed that oil adsorption obeyed pseudo-second-order kinetics infer from R2 values 0.99 and (qcal) 66.7 mg/g aligning closely with (qexp). In addition, the sorption efficiency of this sorbent after five sorption cycles indicated good reusability. This study successfully employed a DPF to efficiently remove oil from water, presenting a commercially viable and environmentally friendly solution.

Chemically treated Posidonia oceanica fibers as a potential sorbent for oil spill clean up

Posidonia oceanica (PO) fibers were used as biodegradable solid waste material in the removal of oil spills from seawater. In the present study, PO fibers were chemically treated using H3PO4, KOH, ZnCl2 and H2O2. The Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to compare and to determine the structure of the raw and the chemically-treated PO fibers. The main parameters studied in the two systems, a mixture system of oil and water and a system with only oil or only water, were the chemical solutions concentrations, initial oil concentration and time contact. The results revealed that PO fibers treated with phosphoric acid (H3PO4) showed an enhancement of oil sorption of 12% in oil/water layer, compared to raw PO fibers. An increase of hydrophobicity was also observed with treated fibers as revealed by the 50% decrease in water sorption capacity. The isotherm and kinetic models were determined to reveal the nature and the mechanism of the sorption. Langmuir isotherm appeared to be the best fitting model showing a one-layer oil sorption onto PO fibers. In addition, the results fitted well with the pseudo-second order kinetic model compared to pseudo-first order representing the chemical sorption of oil. The results indicated that the treated biosorbent could be used as biodegradable material to clean-up oil spills in aqueous solution.

Eco-friendly fabrication of aerogels from cigarette butts for removal of oil spill and cationic dye in wastewater

Eco-friendly fabrication of aerogels from cigarette butts for removal of oil spill and cationic dye in wastewater

Photothermal Assisted Interfacial Cleaning with Semiconductor‐Based Sorbents: Recent Advances and Future Outlook for Effective Oil Spill Remediation

AbstractOceanic oil spills exert enduring adverse effects on marine ecosystems and human health. In contrast to conventional cleaning methods, advanced oil sorbents present a promising technology characterized by low cost, reduced environmental impact, and exceptional hydrophobicity and oleophilic properties for efficient oil removal from seawater. Despite these advantages, the efficacy of sorbents is hindered by highly viscous oil, impeding the oil/water separation process. To overcome this limitation, solar‐driven sorbents incorporating semiconductor materials are innovatively developed, leveraging increased temperatures to enhance crude oil absorption by reducing viscosity. Herein, a comprehensive review specifically focuses on various semiconductor‐functionalized sorbents for oil spill remediation, elucidating oil weathering and traditional cleaning methods to underscore the complexities and challenges in oil cleaning processes. An in‐depth discussion about the cleaning mechanisms of sorbents and the photothermal conversion processes facilitated by semiconductors is also provided. Additionally, it explores three coupling strategies—Joule heating and solar heating, photothermal effect, and magnetic effect, as well as photothermal and photocatalysis—that offer significant advancements in oil cleanup efficiency. Concluding with forward‐looking insights, the challenges and perspectives for the next generation of ocean oil spill removal technologies are proposed at the end.

Application of mono and gemini surfactants in the removal of oil spills from Caspian Sea

Application of mono and gemini surfactants in the removal of oil spills from Caspian Sea

Bioinspired superhydrophobic polylactic acid aerogel with a tree branch structure for the removal of viscous oil spills assisted by solar energy

Inspired by the tree's distinctive structure, the G-PLA aerogel has an aligned channel. This structure has excellent photothermal conversion and vertical heat transfer capacity and can increase the oil absorption rate by 30%.

Nanomaterial grafted polymorphous activated carbon cloth surface for antibacterial, capacitive deionization and oil spill cleaning applications

This work reports the development of multifunctional or polymorphous surfaces using zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods, silica (SiO2), and fluoropolymer functionalization in a sequential process. Firstly, zinc oxide nanorods were grown on activated carbon cloth (ACC) using a simple low-temperature synthesis process. ZnO nanorods-coated ACC substrate was applied to investigate the antimicrobial properties, and the results showed inhibition of 50% for Escherichia coli (E.coli) and 55% for Bacillus subtilis (B.subtilis) over 48 h of incubation time. Subsequent in-situ modification of silica nanoparticles like layer on ZnO nanorods-coated ACC surface was developed and used as an electrode for brackish water desalination in a capacitive deionization system. ZnO–SiO2 modified ACC surface enhanced the desalination efficiency by 1.6 times, the salt removal rate (SRR) by threefold, and the durability (fouling prevention) for long-term usage compared to pristine ACC. Further modification of the ZnO–SiO2-ACC surface using fluoropolymer rendered the surface superhydrophobic and oleophilic. Vegetable (1.4 g/g) and crude oil (1.6 g/g) adsorption capacities were achieved for modified surface which was 70% enhancement compared with pristine ACC. The dynamic oil spill adsorption test exhibited the complete removal of oil spills on water surfaces within a few seconds, suggesting a potential application in oil spill cleaning.

Fabrication of superhydrophobic melamine sponge composite sorbent in supercritical carbon dioxide atmosphere for selective and effective oil removal from water

In this study, both the modification of activated halloysite nanotube (HNT) with methyltriethoxysilane (METES) and the fabrication of durable, superhydrophobic (water contact angle: 153.0°) and superoleophilic (oil contact angle: 0 °) melamine sponge (MS)-HNT-METES sorbent material (MS-METES) were achieved in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) atmosphere. For the coating of MS with clay mineral and METES through sol-gel reaction in scCO2, optimal process conditions were determined to be pressure difference of 60 bars at 35 °C, solvent/METES mass ratio of 7.5, METES/MS mass ratio of 10, and degas time of 400 s. Successful preparation of MS-METES was proven by XPS, FTIR, 29Si-MAS NMR, SEM, and contact angle measurements. MS-METES displayed excellent sorption capacity for various petroleum products, oils, and organic solvents (49.6–122.4 g/g), remarkable oil-water separation efficiency (99.1%, for continuous separation technique), high selectivity for oil/organic solvent in acidic, salty, and alkaline solution conditions, good reusability, chemical stability and robustness, and outstanding flexibility and mechanical stability. We believe that the innovative process used in this study will have great potential to be used by researchers in the direct fabrication of new superhydrophobic and superoleophilic sorbent materials for the selective removal of oil and organic solvent spills from water.

Sulfur‐Tuned Advanced Carbons of Novel Properties and Scalable Productivity

AbstractSulfur‐tuned advanced carbons (STACs) with high mass loadings of sulfur are synthesized using an environmentally benign and scalable steam‐assisted sulfur insertion (SASI) method. While steam provides the pressure necessary to promote deep and rapid sulfur insertion into a carbon porous structure, a strong affinity between melted sulfur and carbon excludes water from pore penetration. The resulting STACs exhibit sulfur mass loadings up to 85% and the electrical conductivity of the carbon framework is largely preserved. The sulfur penetration can be tuned to fill specific pore sizes, enabling pore‐size‐dependent allocation of sulfur and controllable porosity, while sulfur lines the carbon pore surfaces. A significant amount of sulfur is in the monoclinic γ phase. To demonstrate their energy and environmental applications, the STACs are used as cathode materials in rechargeable aluminum‐sulfur batteries and as adsorption materials for spilled oil removal.

Mitigation of oil spills from synthetic seawater using human hair – Experimentation, modeling and optimization

Oil spills are considered to be one of the worst catastrophes that occur in the marine environment and it is obligatory to remediate oil spills. The preset paper focuses on the adsorptive removal of oil spills from synthetic water using human hair, a potent natural adsorbent. Diesel was used as a representative of the spilled oils. Both batch and column studies were conducted and the maximum adsorptive capacity of hair was found to be 4.95 g/g. About 100% removal efficiency was obtained in column studies at 9 cm bed height with initial concentrations up to 20% (v/v). Equilibrium data were fitted to the Freundlich isotherm model and it was found that adsorption obeys the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) were employed for the modelling and optimization of the process. The adsorbent dose of 2.52 g with 13.45 min of contact time was found to be optimum to achieve maximum removal efficiency for batch study and 8.85 cm of bed height, 179.51 mL/h flow rate, and 15% of initial concentration were obtained as optimized values of column studies. The present study reinforces the utilization of human hair for the remediation of oil spills.

Oil spills removal from seawater surface by magnetic biochar composite derived from Heglig tree bark and cobalt ferrite

Purpose This study aims to explore the possibility of using magnetic biochar composite (MBCC) derived from Heglig tree bark (HTB) powder (agricultural solid waste) and cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4, CFO) for oil spill removal from seawater surface. Design/methodology/approach One-pot co-precipitation route was used to synthesize MBCC. The prepared materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The densities of the prepared materials were also estimated. Crude, diesel engine and gasoline engine oils were used as seawater pollutant models. The gravimetric oil removal (GOR) method was used for removing oil spills from seawater using MBCC as a sorbent material. Findings The obtained results revealed that the prepared materials (CFO and MBCC) were able to remove the crude oil and its derivatives from the seawater surface. Besides, when the absorbent amount was 0.01 g, the highest GOR values for crude oil (31.96 ± 1.02 g/g) and diesel engine oil (14.83 ± 0.83 g/g) were obtained using MBCC as an absorbent. For gasoline engine oil, the highest GOR (27.84 ± 0.46 g/g) was attained when CFO was used as an absorbent. Originality/value Oil spill removal using MBCC derived from cobalt ferrite and HTB. Using tree bark as biomass (eco-friendly, readily available and low-cost) for magnetic biochar preparation also is a promising method for minimizing agricultural solid wastes (e.g. HTB) and obtaining value-added-products.

Maize cob (Zea mays) as natural biomass sorbent for crude oil biosorptive removal from contaminated seawater: Taguchi process optimization and biosorptive removal mechanism.

Crude oil pollution poses a serious threat to the aquatic environment. Hence, there is an increasing interest in developing an efficient cleaner process technique for oil spill cleanup via agricultural biomass waste-organic sorbent utilization. This work evaluated the effects of independent biosorptive removal at three varying levels (initial concentration of crude oil (Z1, 7.8-15.6 g/L), seawater-oil temperature (Z2, 25-45 °C), sorbent dose (Z3, 1-3 g), and sorbent particle size diameter (Z4, 1.18-4.72 mm)) on the biosorptive removal efficiency and biosorptive capacity performance of maize cob sorbent for crude oil biosorptive removal from seawater. Experiments were designed based on Taguchi orthogonal array experimental design (L9(34)) to study the effects and process optimization. The results revealed that the maize cob sorbent's crude oil biosorptive removal efficiency is related to Z1, Z3, and Z4, while the biosorptive capacity is related to Z1 and Z3. The optimum biosorptive removal efficiency and the biosorptive capacity values were 96.53% and 12.64 g/g, respectively, achieved at optimum factors of Z1 (7.8 g/L), Z3 (3 g), and Z4 (1.18 mm), as well as at Z1 (15.6 g) and Z3 (1 g). The isotherm and kinetic data, respectively, followed the Langmuir isotherms and the pseudo-second-order kinetics with a maximum monolayer biosorptive capacity of 23.31 g g-1. The mechanism of biosorptive crude oil removal was by physical sorption and film diffusion control. Therefore, the maize cob represents an inexpensive and effective natural sorbent for oil spill removal from water bodies.