Sorbent Materials Lab Report

By Lara Glendening and Marilynn Hunt

March 19, 2019

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Abstract

In our experiment, we tested three different sorbent materials: polypropylene, cotton

fiber, and peat moss, in order to discover which absorbs the most oil. We tested them

by soaking them in a tin containing 6 cups of water and 2 cups of oil for 2 minutes. We

ran each experiment three times. In the end, the cotton was the most efficient,

absorbing an average of 50mL. Polypropylene were as a little less effective then the

cotton, but more effective than the peat moss. The moss did not do very well and was

messy. It leaked out of its bag into the water. Because of this we decided to use cotton

fiber for our capstone project. It is an organic material and it was the most effective

sorbent.
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Table of Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………3

Method………………………………………………………………………………………....3-5

Results………………………………………………………………………………………....5-6

Discussion……………………………………………………………………………………..6-7

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………….7

References……………………………………………………………………………………….7

Appendix……………………………………………………………………………………...8-1

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Introduction

Each year approximately 1.3 million gallons of oil are spilled in U.S. waters. It is

extremely detrimental to the environment and because of this our capstone project is

focused on oil spill cleanup. In order to create our oil spill cleanup apparatus, we must

choose an efficient and eco-friendly sorbent. We tested three possible materials: peat

moss, cotton fiber, and polypropylene. Peat moss is organic and naturally occuring,

cotton fiber is organic, and polypropylene is a synthetic material. To test these materials

we set up an experiment to test how much oil they could absorb.

V = ​πr​2​h
Equation 1: Volume of a Cylinder

We will measure how much oil they absorbed by measuring it in a beaker, but also by
using the volume equation.

Method

Apparatus​:

The experimental apparatus includes three large disposable cooking tins, which are

each filled with 6 cups of salt water and 2 cups of oil. We tested each material three

times by dropping them in the oily water and leaving them to soak for 2 minutes. We

tested 3.75 by 3.75 inch squares of cotton fiber and polypropylene, and 6 gram bags of

peat moss. A 500 mL graduated cylinder was used to measure and pour the oil, a 2 cup

measuring cup was used for the water, and a 500 mL beaker was used to measure the
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amount of oil squeezed out of the sorbents after each trial. There was also a timer to

ensure each trial was the same length.

Figure 1: Sketch of Apparatus

Figure 2: 3D Model
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Preparation​:

1. Make bags of 6 grams of peat moss

2. Cut polypropylene cloth into 3.75 inch by 3.75 inch squares

3. Cut cotton fiber into 3.75 inch by 3.75 inch squares

Procedure​:

1. Fill a tub with 6 cups of water and ⅓ cup of salt, and wait until it is at room

temperature and dissolved

2. Add 2 cups of oil and let it sit for 1 minute

3. Place the peat moss in the center of the oil and leave it there for 2 minutes

4. Remove the moss and measure how much liquid it has absorbed, and how much

of the liquid was oil and how much was water (do this in a beaker so that they

separate)

5. Repeat 2 more times

6. Repeat step 1-5 with polypropylene and cotton fiber instead of peat moss

Results

The cotton fiber was the most effective sorbent. It absorbed an average of 50 milliliters

of water compared to peat moss’s 23 milliliters and polypropylene’s 28 milliliters. It

consistently absorbed almost twice the amount of oil than the other two materials.
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Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average

Peat Moss 20mL 30mL 20mL 23.33mL

Cotton Fiber 50mL 45mL 55mL 50mL

Polypropylene 25mL 35mL 25mL 28.33mL

Table 1: Experimental Results

Figure 3: Results

Discussion

The results above were used to choose a sorbent for our capstone project. Our results

proved that cotton fiber was the most efficient and absorbent material out of our three

options. We made the water conditions as similar as possible for each experiment to
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avoid error. Our results seem valid because according to the scientists, Hyung Min Choi

and Rinn M. Cloud, cotton fiber was found to be more absorbent than polypropylene.

Conclusion

Cotton fiber was the most absorbent material. It soaked up an average of 50 milliliters of

oil. It was also an organic material, which was another reason why we chose it for our

material. It is more environmentally friendly than polypropylene and more absorbent.

Even though we tried our best to make the trials identical, the peat moss was difficult to

get an exact measurement of, so it is possible that their data is skewed if different trials

contained more or less moss. A further experiment we could do is durability tests of the

materials to see which one lasts the longest. Wear and tear could be important for our

project because we would like our product to be reusable.

References

“Natural Sorbents in Oil Spill Cleanup.” ​ACS Publications,​

pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/es00028a016.

“Sorbents.” ​EPA,​ Environmental Protection Agency,

archive.epa.gov/emergencies/content/learning/web/html/sorbents.html.
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Appendix
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