Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Equilibrium And Kinetic Studies Of Crude Oil Sorption On Unmodified And Modified Napier Grass, Amalachukwu Ifeyinwa Obi, Vincent Ishmael Ajiwe, Chinwe Priscilla Okonkwo

Makara Journal of Science

Nowadays, natural organic adsorbents are widely used to clean up oil from spills owing to their effectiveness, affordability, and biodegradability. In this study, Napier grass, a widely available agricultural material, was used to remove crude oil from aqueous media. The Napier grass was modified via a mild acetylation process to improve its hydrophobicity. The modification increased the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area of the grass from 180.07 to 271.13 m²/g. Fourier-transform infrared analysis revealed that the modification endowed the originally hydrophilic Napier grass with hydrophobicity. The oil sorption processes were based on monolayer physisorption and controlled by film diffusion. The …