Exploring the potential of Desert Rose fibers (Adenium obesum) for the remediation of oil-contaminated sites

Abstract

This work proposes the use of Fibers from the pod of Desert Rose, Adenium obesum (DRF), as an alternative for oil removal in spill scenarios and cleaning of contaminated bird feathers. The sorption capacity of biomass was evaluated through kinetics tests, which were adjusted using the Fractal Linear Driving Force (FL-LDF) model. Additionally, capture stability tests were performed to determine the oil retention capacity of the material. Furthermore, the DRF were tested in the cleaning of bird feathers, and the fibers were characterized using Optical Microscopy (OM), SEM, FTIR and TGA. The DRF demonstrated sorption efficiency, with approximately 13.01 ± 1.87 g/g, 14.59 ± 0.58 g/g and 49.12 ± 2.43 g/g, for diesel oils, 20 W50 mineral oil and petroleum, respectively. It was found that these results were achieved by combining the viscosity with the functional groups identified on the material surface, which strongly contributed to the sorption capacity. The sorption kinetics indicated a fast rate in the first minute of testing for diesel oils and 20 W50. The material was still stable, managing to retain 65 %, 83 % and 78 % and removing from the feathers a total of 82 %, 71 % and 81 % of diesel oils, 20 W50 and petroleum. The biomass presented a hollow cylindrical structure, with the presence of grooves and roughness in some regions of its surface with a thin wall, demonstrating to be an efficient and competitive oil sorbent.