Sains Malaysiana 47(8)(2018): 1891–1896

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2018-4708-30

 

Oleophilicity and Oil-Water Separation by Reduced Graphene Oxide Grafted Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Fibres

(Oleofilisiti dan Pemisahan Minyak-Air oleh Grafin Oksida Terturun Tercantum Gentian Tandan Kosong Kelapa Sawit)

 

MOHD SHAIFUL SAJAB^1,2*, WAN NURMAWADDAH WAN ABDUL RAHMAN JAUHAR², CHIN HUA CHIA³, SARANI ZAKARIA³, HATIKA KACO⁴ & AN’AMT MOHAMED NOOR⁵

 

¹Chemical Engineering Programme, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

 

²Research Centre for Sustainable Process Technology (CESPRO), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

 

³School of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

 

⁴Kolej Permata Insan, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Bandar Baru Nilai, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus, Malaysia

 

⁵Fakulti Agro Industri dan Sumber Asli, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Karung Berkunci 36, Pengkalan Chepa, 16100 Kota Bharu, Kelantan Darul Naim, Malaysia

 

Received: 1 March 2018/Accepted: 5 April 2018

 

ABSTRACT

Absorption is one of the effective, simple and economical methods to remove oil from oily wastewater. The most widely used approach is to utilize lignocellulosic biomass as oil absorbent. However, the hygroscopic of cellulose have limited the oil-water separation capability of lignocellulosic fibers. In this study, the surface functionality of oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibers was slightly altered by grafting reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The modified EFB fibers show a distinct morphological and chemical characteristics changes as the surface of fibers has been coated with rGO. This was supported by FTIR analysis with the diminishing peak of hydroxyl group region of EFB fibers. While the surface modification on EFB fibers shows a diminution of a hydrophilic characteristic of 131.6% water absorption in comparison with 268.9% of untreated EFB fibers. Moreover, modified fibers demonstrated an oil-water separation increment as well, as it shows 89% of oil uptake and improved ~17 times of oil selectivity in oil-water emulsion than untreated EFB fibers.

 

Keywords: Absorption; hydrophobic; lignocellulose; oil recovery; reduced graphene oxide

 

ABSTRAK

Penyerapan merupakan salah satu kaedah yang berkesan, mudah dan berekonomi untuk menyingkirkan minyak daripada air buangan berminyak. Antara pendekatan paling banyak digunakan secara meluas adalah dengan menggunakan biojisim lignoselulosa sebagai penyerap minyak. Walau bagaimanapun, higroskopi selulosa telah membataskan keupayaan pemisahan minyak-air bagi gentian lignoselulosa. Dalam kajian ini, permukaan berfungsi gentian tandan kosong kelapa sawit (EFB) telah diubah sedikit dengan mencantumkan grafin oksida terturun (rGO). Gentian EFB terubah suai menunjukkan perubahan morfologikal dan ciri kimia yang berbeza dengan permukaan gentian yang telah disaluti oleh rGO. Ia telah disokong dengan analisis FTIR dengan pengurangan puncak kawasan kumpulan hidroksil gentian EFB. Sementara itu, pengubahsuaian permukaan gentian EFB telah menunjukkan pengurangan ciri hidrofilik, menghasilkan 131.6% penyerapan air berbanding dengan 268.9% bagi gentian EFB tanpa rawatan. Malah, gentian terawat juga menunjukkan peningkatan terhadap pemisahan minyak-air dengan melihatkan 89% pengambilan minyak, dan menambah baik ~17 kali ganda daripada gentian EFB tanpa rawatan.

 

Kata kunci: Grafin oksida terturun; hidrofobik; lignoselulosa; penjerapan; perolehan minyak

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*Corresponding author; email: mohdshaiful@ukm.edu.my