Preparation and characterization of polysulfide polymer adsorbent to remove crude oil content from wastewater

• Main Authors: Taha, F. M., Mohammad, A. K., Azeez, M. H.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adsorbents; Adsorption; Aquatic environment; Control equipment; Crude oil; Diesel fuels; Environmental impact; Functional groups; Oil spills; Petroleum; Pollution abatement; Polymers; Polysulfides; Sorbents; Sulfur; Sunflower oil; Vegetable oils; Wastewater
• ISSN: 0094-243X; 1551-7616
• DOI: 10.1063/5.0172136

Intrusion of water contaminated with crude oil poses an ongoing threat to aquatic environments. It is considered one of the most serious environmental issues related to the oil industry. To mitigate the environmental impact of pollution, low-cost and long-lasting sorbents are required. To meet this need, this study used a low-density polysulfide polymer made from sulfur and sunflower oils. The polymer can easily extract hydrocarbons like crude oil and diesel fuel from water since the sulfur and sunflower oils are both hydrophobic. Furthermore, oil may be recovered, and the polymer can be reused in oil spill cleanup. Furthermore, polysulfide is unique in that it is totally comprised of recycled resources. Sulfur is a by-product of the petroleum industry, whereas used sunflower oil is a household waste item. As a result, residual sulfur from the petroleum sector was used to develop effective anti-pollution adsorbents. FTIR analysis shows that the functional groups of prepared polysulfide polymer, (C-H, C=O, and C-S) that are distributed on the surface are consistent with several published works which indicates the success of the preparation procedure. The adsorption of crude oils onto the synthesized polysulfide polymer was performed in an experimental environment using batch equipment with well controlled temperature and stirring conditions. The adsorption values of the produced polysulfide polymer are 98.99 percent for North crude oil and 93 percent for South crude oil.