Oil spill sorption using carbonized pith bagasse. Application of carbonized pith bagasse as loose fiber

Abstract

Recent oil tanker accidents in the sea are very serious, not only since they pollute the environment but also because they release heavy oil. The preparation of activated carbon from agricultural waste increases economic return and reduces pollution. On carbonized fibers, sorption capacity for different kind of oils was determined. Fibers extracted from bagasse and carbonized at 300◦C for 2 hr were found to have a high performance for sorption, recovery and recycling of heavy oils, even the viscous ones. Sorption capacity showed strong dependence on the weight of sorbent and oil film thickness. Their recycling performance was excellent as they can be used for six cycles until they reach 50% of the sorption capacity of the 1st cycle. Comparison between the prepared carbonized fiber and a commercial sorbent has been done and showed that the prepared sorbent could be used as sufficient sorbent more than the commercial sorbent used.