Simulation of autohydrolysis effect on adsorptivity of wheat straw in the case of oil spill cleaning

• Published in: Chemical engineering research & design 2014-09, Vol.92 (9), p.1781-1791
• Main Authors: Sidiras, D., Batzias, F., Konstantinou, I., Tsapatsis, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adsorbent; Adsorbents; Autoclaves; Autohydrolysis; Crude oil; Diesel; Diesel fuels; Heating; Lignocellulosic; Oil spill; Simulation; Straw; Triticum aestivum; Wheat; Wheat straw
• ISSN: 0263-8762; 1744-3563
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cherd.2013.12.013

•Simulation of autohydrolysis effect on the adsorptivity of improved materials.•Modified wheat straw as a low-cost adsorbent for oil-spills cleaning.•Diesel and crude oil optimized adsorbency values.•Optimal autohydrolysis modification conditions.•Adsorbency values comparable to those of the commercial adsorbents. This work deals with the use of chemically modified wheat straw as efficient low-cost adsorbent for combating oil-spills in aquatic environment. The autohydrolyzed wheat straw was produced from the corresponding raw material by autohydrolysis in a PARR batch reactor (autoclave) at 160–240°C for 0–50min isothermal reaction time (following a non-isothermal preheating period). Oil adsorbency tests were performed, using diesel and crude oil spills in freshwater and seawater. Diesel and crude oil adsorbency values were found to increase up to a maximum by intensifying the autohydrolysis conditions, i.e., time and temperature. The adsorbency values were estimated by a proposed novel model incorporating the autohydrolysis severity factor R0. Optimal modification conditions were found for logR0=5.15 (i.e., 200°C, 10min isothermal time period) giving diesel adsorbency up to 6.65gg−1 and crude oil adsorbency up to 6.91gg−1. The maximum adsorbency values were comparable to those of the commonly used commercial adsorbents.