Estudo do comportamento de fibras modificadas de Eucalyptus na sorção de petróleo

Abstract

Lignocellulosic fibers stand out for their ability to adsorb oil, presenting a promising solution for containing oil spills. Although sorption is widely employed, concerns remain regarding accessibility, efficiency, and feasibility within a sustainable circular economy. This study focuses on the feasibility of using eucalyptus fibers, both natural and chemically modified, for the removal of oil from water, as well as the characterization of the biosorbents. Eucalyptus fibers, which are renewable and biodegradable lignocellulosic materials, were used in four granulometries and chemically modified with alkali and acid treatments to evaluate their effects on oil sorption. The characterization included measurements of the length, width, and lumen diameter of the natural fibers, hydrophobicity, oleophilicity, moisture content, fat content, chemical analysis, and FTIR. Sorption tests were conducted with crude oil of different viscosities and its mixture with seawater in static and agitated systems. The results showed that natural eucalyptus fibers exhibited greater sorption capacity with decreasing granulometry. Furthermore, the sorption capacity of natural fibers >420 μm achieved a maximum capacity of 17.99±0.528 g.g−1 of biosorbent in a dry system. The adsorption capacity of the natural material surpassed that of the commercial material used for comparison, with maximum sorption capacities of 17.99±0.528 and 13.13±0.093 g.g−1 of biosorbent in a dry system, respectively. There was a significant reduction in the contact angle after modification with sodium hydroxide, which consequently reduced the oil sorption capacity of this biosorbent. Nevertheless, both natural and modified biosorbents are considered hydrophobic. It is concluded that eucalyptus fibers, both natural and modified, show potential for use as biosorbents for oil removal in aquatic environments when compared to other studied biosorbents.