Kinetics and Thermodynamics of Dispersed Oil Sorption by Kapok Fiber

This work was aimed at evaluating the sorption of dispersed oil by kapok fiber. The physicochemical characteristics of kapok fiber were investigated using BET, SEM, FTIR, XRD, contact angle and elemental analysis. The oil droplet size distribution at different temperatures was analysed using a Coulter counter, and its relationship with sorption was investigated. The effects of dosage, hydraulic retention time and temperature, on the sorption performance were studied. The result indicates that the sorption of dispersed oil by kapok fiber is spontaneous, endothermic and agreed with the pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics. The amount of oil that could be removed is about 28.5 %, while that of water is less than 1 % of the original amount (0.5 dm³). Kapok is a promising natural hydrophobic fiber for dispersed oil removal from oily wastewater.