Introduction

SORBENT
Sorbents are insoluble materials or mixtures of materials used to
recover liquids through the mechanism of absorption, or
adsorption, or both. Sorbent need to be oleophilic (oil-
attracting) and hydrophobic (water-repellent)

Emperata cylindrica Durio zibethinus

(lalang) (durian’s peel)

Emperata cylindrica
(lalang)
 Name
Emperata cylindrica (lalang)
Ceiba pentandra (Kapok’s fiber)
Durio zibethinus (durian’s peel)
Properties
• leaves are about 2 cm wide the
margins are finely toothed and are
embedded with sharp silica crystals.
• The main vein is a lighter colour
• The upper surface is hairy near the
base of the plant
• the underside is usually hairless
• very light
• very buoyant
• Resilient
• resistant to water
• very flammable
• large size
• strong odour
• formidable thorn covered husk.
• Shape ranges from oblong to round
• color of its husk green to brown, and
its flesh pale yellow to red
Special Properties
• 35.5 % amount of cellulose.
• cellulose which is oleophilic and
hydrophobic
• can absorb up to 13 times their weight
in hydrocarbon liquids while repelling
water
• great potential as oil sorbent on any
type of oil owing
• excellent hydrophobicity-oleophilicity
characteristic.
• exhibited high selectivity for the oils
over the water
• crude gum from durian seed showed
the interfacial activity in oil/water
(o/w) emulsion system.
• due to the presence of trace amount
of the hydrophobic lipid fraction along
with the hydrophilic polysaccharide
fraction present in the chemical
structure of durian seed gum.
keeping certain
species maintain the
especially beauty of the
endangered nature.
species from
being extinct

avoid the
maintain and chemical
increase the pollution in the
cleanness of sea water
the sea

avoid the extra cost

for the government
to overcome the oil
spills
 To determine the
To identify and compare
effectiveness between
the most efficient and the
different types of organic
best material to be used
materials that can be used
as the oil absorbent
as the oil absorbent

OBJECTIVE OF STUDY

To produce an economical
To identify the content of
and ecofriendly prototype
each of the material to be
so that it can be used
used as oil absorbent.
widely
Hypothesis
Literature Review
 Oil Boom
 Temporary floating barrier that was used to contain an oil spill
at the sea
 Process of confining the oil, either to prevent it from spreading
to a particular area, or to divert it to another area where it can
be recovered or treated, or to concentrate the oil so that it can
be recovered, burned or otherwise treated. (Mervin Fingas.
2010).
 Resemble a vertical curtain with portions extending above and
below the waterline. Consist of four basic components: a
means of floatation, a freeboard member to prevent oil from
flowing over top of the boom, a skirt to prevent oil from being
swept underneath the boom, and one or more tension
members to support the entire boom (Merv Fingas. 2012)
 Curtain Boom, Fence Boom and Shoreline Seal Boom
 Oil Absorbent
 They are buoyant and their main function is
to
absorb oil that have already being contained
by the oil boom
 Differentiate into natural and synthetic oil
absorbent
 Example of natural oil absorbent are Straw,
Wood Cellulose, Saw Dust, Ground Corn
Cobs, Rice Hulls, Peanut Hulls, and Ground
Pine Bark
 Example of synthetic oil absorbent are
Polyurethane Foam, Urea Formaldehyde
Foam, Polyethylene Fibers, Polystyrene
Powder, and Polyester Shavings
 Kingdom:
Plantae Tropical tree
Hydrophobicity- Genus: Ceiba called the Ceiba
oleophilicity Species: tree or the silk
characteristic Pentandra cotton tree

Shows great Kapok Fibre

potential as oil (Ceiba Light.
sorbent on any Pentandra sp.)
type of oil

Resistant to water Resilient. Buoyant.

 Durian (Durio zibethinus sp.)

 Known as Durian by most people

 Durio zibethinus sp.

 Durian’s peel could be used to remove oil from water as Dr

Kathiresan found that the rejuvenated fatty acid-modified
durian peel was able to retain its original efficiency of
absorbing oil

 The crude gum from durian showed the interfacial activity in

oil/water emulsion system due to the presence of trace
amount of the hydrophobic lipid fraction along with the
hydrophilic polysaccharide fraction present in the chemical
structure of durian(Bahareh Tabatabaee Amid et al. 2012)
 Cogongrass (Imperata Cylindrica sp.)

 Commonly known as blady grass, cogongrass, kunai grass, or

Japanese bloodgrass but locally known as ‘lalang’ by
Malaysians
 Imperata Cylindrica sp.
 Responsible for the absorption of oil as it has 35.5 % amount
of cellulose which is determined using hydrolysis process
 Cellulose which is oleophilic and hydrophobic, it can absorb
up to 13 times their weight in hydrocarbon liquids while
repelling water.
METHODOLOGY
 LOCATION OF PREPARATION

 Alpha Cafeteria
 Analytical Chemistry laboratory 2
 one of the group member’s house
 APPARATUS
APPARATUS VOLUME AND AMOUNT

Beakers 2000mL – 3 units

400mL – 3 units

Measuring Cylinder 500 mL – 1 unit

100 mL – 1 unit

Separating Funnel 1 unit

Glass Rod 1 unit

Dropper 1 unit

Top Loading Balance 1 unit

Dry Blender 1 unit

Mortar and Pestle 1 unit

 PREPARATION OF THE SAMPLES

SAMPLES PROCESSES INVOLVED

Imperata cylindrical sp. drying technique, cutting technique,

blending technique, screening
technique and weighing technique

Durio zibethinus sp drying technique, smashing technique,

cutting technique, blending technique,
screening technique and weighing
technique

Ceiba pentandra sp. screening technique and weighing

technique
 CONDUCTION OF RESEARCH

I. Time taken for the samples to absorb oil

II. Volume of the oil been absorbed by the samples
I. Time taken for the samples to absorb oil

1. Firstly, 20 grams of each sample

were weighted by using top loading
balance

2. Next, each of the samples

were put in three different
socks

3. Then, three different 2000 ml beakers

of the same size were prepared. The
beakers were labeled as 1, 2 and 3
 4. Next, 150 ml of cooking oil was poured
in each of the beakers. After that, the socks
containing the samples were put into each
of the beakers. Sock containing Imperata
cylindrical sp., Ceiba pentandra sp. and
Durio zibethinus sp. was put in beaker 1, 2
and 3 respectively.

5. All the samples were

put in the beakers at
the same time. Then,
wait for the samples to
complete its absorption
of cooking oil

6. At the same time, the time taken for the cooking oil to be absorbed
completely by each of the samples were taken. The time taken was
measured and recorded. The above steps were repeated for engine oil
where the time for the engine oil to be absorbed by the samples were
taken.
II. Volume of the oil been absorbed by the samples

1. Firstly, 20 grams of each sample were weighted by

using top loading balance. Next, three different of 2000
ml beakers of the same size were prepared. The beakers
were labeled as 1, 2 and 3. Next, 100 ml of water was
poured into each of the beaker

2. 150 ml of cooking oil was poured

in each of the beakers

3. The mixture was stirred so that all the sink cooking

oil will float on the water. Then, each of the samples
Imperata cylindrical sp., Ceiba pentandra sp., Durio
zibethinus sp. was put in beaker 1, 2 and 3 respectively
 4. The samples and the mixture of oil and water were stirred
together for efficient absorption

5. After that, wait for 15 minutes for the samples to absorb the
cooking oil. After 15 minutes, all the samples were removed from
the mixture. Then, the remaining cooking oil in each of the
beaker was proceed in the separating process.

6. During the separating process, by using filter funnel the mixture

of cooking oil and water was poured into the separating funnel that
had been set up. The mixture was shaken and after several seconds,
two separated layers of the mixture can be seen where the cooking
oil was on top of the water.
RESULTS
Time Taken For The Sample to Absorb The
Cooking Oil

Time Taken

(Minutes) Imperata Ceiba pentandra Durio zibethinus

Sample cylindrica

Data 1 7.33 2.99 8.29

Data 2 7.23 3.41 8.33

Data 3 7.04 3.20 8.28

Average 7.20 3.20 8.30

Time Taken For The Sample to Absorb The Used
Engine Oil

Time Taken

(Minutes) Imperata cylindrica Ceiba pentandra Durio zibethinus

Sample

Data 1 8.80 4.37 12.48

Data 2 8.28 4.06 12.88

Data 3 8.15 5.07 12.14

Average 8.41 4.50 12.50

 Volume of Cooking Oil Absorbed

Sample Imperata cylindrica Ceiba pentandra Durio zibethinus

Initial Volume of Oil

(ml) 150 150 150

Final Volume of Oil

(ml) 27 1.5 61

Volume of Oil Absorbed

(ml) 123 148.5 89

 Volume of cooking oil (L) VS
Time Taken (Min)
0.15 0.15 0.15

0.13

0.1

0.08

0
0.00 MIN 3.20 MIN 7.20 MIN 8.30 MIN

Imperata Cylindrical Ceiba Pentandra Durio Zibethinus

Figure 1: shows the average of the time taken to absorb 1.5L of cooking oil
Volume of Used Engine Oil Absorbed

Sample Imperata cylindrica Ceiba pentandra Durio zibethinus

Initial Volume of

Oil (ml) 150 150 150

Final Volume of

Oil (ml) 37 3.7 97

Volume of Oil

Absorbed (ml) 113 146.3 53

 Volume of engine oil (L) VS Time Taken (Min)

0.15 0.15 0.15

0.13

0.1

0.08

0
00.00 MIN 04.50 MIN 08.41 MIN 12.50 MIN

Imperata Cylindrical Ceiba Pentandra Durio Zibethinus

Figure 2: shows the average of the time taken to absorb 1.5L engine oil.
Discussion
 MOST
LEAST EFFECTIVE
EFFECTIVE

structure
structure
Time taken for • rejuvenated fatty acid Durio
• have an oleophilic outer the oil to be zibethinus sp.absorb spilled
cuticle that was covered by absorbed by oil on aqueous solution for at
lanolin, which repelled water least three repeated cycles.
samples
(cooking oil and
engine oil) Surface area
SURFACE AREA
• Have bigger surface area, • Small surface area
• modified durian peel powder
is an efficient absorbent
 WHY? WHY?

• immersed up
to twelve times for • Small surface area
up to twenty VOLUME OF • modified durian
seconds in oil OIL peel powder is an
without losing that ABSORBED efficient absorbent
high absorptive BY SAMPLES • absorb spilled oil on
capacity aqueous solution for
• Have bigger at least three
surface area, repeated cycles.
Time taken for Volume of oil
oil absorbed absorbed

Cooking Oil
Versus
Lubricant
The volume of
cooking oil absorbed
Viscosity of by each of the
cooking oil was samples was much
much more lower larger than the
than engine oil volume of engine oil
absorbed by the
samples
CONTAINER

• CHANGE THE SOCKS INTO MORE EFFICIENT

SAMPLE CONTAINER

SHAPE

• CHANGE FROM ROUGH AND SMALL PARTICLES

TO FINE POWDER
As conclusion, use of organic absorbent can be an effective spill response and control method,
especially to minimize environmental damage. Organic absorbent effectiveness have been
shown in this experiment, to be effective, the absorbent can remove oil from water surface. In
a few carefully planned and monitored laboratory test, high effectiveness have been
documented based on the result obtained which is Ceiba pentandra. This experiment also able
to produce an economical and ecofriendly prototype that can be used widely. Used of stoking
as the oil boom to trapped the oil and hold the oil absorbent. It is cheap, easy to obtain and
also does not cause any release of chemical substances to the ocean. This experiment was
successfully conducted as the data met the expected theory before. A lot of benefits can be
achieve by this prototype either in short period benefits or long period benefits.