1.
International Journal For Research & Development in Technology
Volume: 2, Issue: 6, Dec -2014 ISSN (Online):- 2349-3585
26 Copyright 2014- IJRDT www.ijrdt.org
OIL CLEANUP USING COCONUT HUSK
AND CORN COBS AS ABSORBENTS
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
O.A.Omoniyi1
, E.O. Henry2
1
Lecturer,
1
Department of Petroleum Engineering Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University
Bauchi, Bauchi State, Nigeria,
ABSTRACT:-An oil spill is the deliberate or accidental
release of hydrocarbon oil into water bodies (rivers, oceans,
streams, creeks, etc.) or land. Oil spills may occur due to
release of crude oil on land, offshore platforms, drilling rigs,
wells, tankers and spills of refined petroleum products. This
research work is aimed at comparing the absorption
capability of coconut husk, grounded and ungrounded corn
cob and also to discover which of the absorbents is best at
removing oil from water. The experiment was carried out by
oven-drying the absorbents to completely remove moisture,
the oil and water were poured into the conical flask to a
predetermined level. The absorbents were then immersed
into the mixture and brought out after some time. The final
oil level, final water level and final water-oil level were then
recorded. The results obtained indicated that surface area is
a factor in absorption. The larger the surface area of a
material the more fluid it will absorb. The result obtained
also indicated that coconut husk is the best oil absorber
among three absorbents tested as it absorbed more oil. This
is because coconut husk is fibrous in nature. The result also
shows that the absorbents absorbed only a little quantity of
water as expected. Since coconut husk worked well in
absorbing the engine oil from the oil-water mixture, it can be
used for absorbing crude oil. Coconut husk is therefore
recommendable for use as an absorbent in a device for the
cleanup of office oil spill.
Keywords:- Oil spills, Hydrocarbon, Absorbent, Coconut
husk, Crude oil
INTRODUCTION
An oil spill is a form of pollution and is caused by human
activities. The term is usually used for marine oil spills, where
oil is let out or released into the ocean and other water bodies.
Oil spills may occur due to releases of crude oil from offshore
platforms, drilling rigs, wells, tankers, pipelines and spills of
refined petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel and their
by-products, heavier fuels such as bunker fuel, or the spill of
any waste oil.
Many natural ecosystems in many places have been damaged
by crude oil and refined fuel spills from tanker ship accidents.
Some of the places where these accidents have occurred
include GalapagosIslands, the Gulf of Mexico, France and
Alaska. A few hundred tons to several hundred thousand tons
quantity of crude oil are released during accidents. Examples
are Atlantic Empress, Amoco Cardiz and Deepwater Horizon
Oil Spill. Smaller spills such as the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
have also proven to have significant impact on ecosystems due
to the remoteness of the site or the difficulty of an emergency
environmental response.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/oil-spill) 20
.
On April 20, 2010 the British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon
drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing eleven men
and releasing as much as five million barrels of crude oil into
the sea. It is believed that as much as fifty-three thousand
barrels of oil a day flowed from the broken well until British
Petroleum was able to stem the release on July 15, 2010. It
was the biggest offshore spill in US history. One of the more
disturbing aspects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill was the
cleanup. (Katherine, 2012)8
.
The most frequently used methods to clean up ocean oil spills
are Booms, Skimmers and Chemical Dispersants(See figs..1,2,
and 3)
Each method has its own merits and demerits. Weather, tides
and ocean currents are factors that determine the effectiveness
of any cleaning method
(http://ask.yahoo.com/20021218.html)21
.
Sponge-like materials called absorbents can absorb oil and can
also be used for oil cleanup. Yearly, billions of dollars are
spent by operating companies and governments on oil spill
cleanup.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
People who reside in areas that are prone to oil spills are
usually stranded, helpless and at the mercy of the operating
companies and the government when oil spill occurs. These
operating companies are usually not prompt in bringing
conventional cleanup equipment such as booms and skimmers
to the affected sites and this is due to the fact that most of the
operating companies do not have these cleanup devices
because of their cost. Most operating companies resort to
hiring the devices at an expensive rate.
The delay usually contributes to the destruction of ecosystem
and wide spread of the spilled oil, thereby making cleanup
more difficult and expensive. This research work is geared
towards testing and suggesting local, unsophisticated cheap
materials that can be used as absorbents in a device by the
operating companies to cleanup oil spills.

2.
International Journal For Research & Development in Technology
Paper Title:- (Vol.2, Issue-6)OIL CLEANUP USING COCONUT HUSK AND CORN COBS AS ABSORBENTS
ISSN(O):- 2349-3585
27 Copyright 2014- IJRDT www.ijrdt.org
OBJECTIVES
To compare the absorption capability of coconut husk,
grounded and ungrounded corn cob.
To discover if the absorbents can be used for oil spill cleanup.
To discover which absorbent is best at removing oil from
water.
To determine the volume of remaining water and oil left after
removing each absorbent from the mixture.
To recommend an alternative means of oil clean up to the oil
and gas industry.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROJECT
This research would recommend to the oil industry more
absorbents that could be used for offshore oil cleanup thereby
helping the industry reduce cost in oil spill cleanup. The
research will also help people who reside in areas that are
prone to offshore oil spill to start cleanup in the absence of
conventional cleanup equipment such as booms and skimmers
when an oil spill occurs and also help reduce the work of the
petroleum engineer in cleaning up oil spills.
LIMITATIONS
Engine oil was used to conduct the experiment due to
inaccessibility to crude oil.
METHODOLOGY
MATERIALS USED:
Engine oil, water, coconut husk, corn cobs, conical flask,
stopwatch, mortar and pestle, and electric oven.
PREPARATION OF THE SORBENTS
Coconut Husk (Coir)(See fig. 4)
Coir has a natural pH of about 6; liming materials increase the
pH above ideal levels for most plants. ‘Buffered’ coco coir, the
type sold in most garden centres, serves best as a growing
medium, as the chemical buffering process helps balance the
substance’s calcium and magnesium content. Similarly, the
addition of gypsum helps the medium overcome its low
calcium and sulphur content (Daniel Thomas)2
.
Coir fibres are found between the hard, internal shell and the
outer coat of a coconut. The individual fibre cells are narrow
and hollow, with thick walls made of cellulose. They are pale
when immature, but later become hardened and yellowed as a
layer of lignin is deposited on their walls. Each cell is about
1mm (0.04in) long and 10 to 20μm (0.0004 to 0.0008in) in
diameter. Fibres are typically 10 to 30 centimetres (4 to 12in)
long. The two varieties of coir are brown and white. Brown
coir harvested from fully ripened coconuts is thick, strong and
has high abrasion resistance. It is typically used in mats,
brushes and sacking. Mature brown coir fibres contain more
lignin and less cellulose than fibres such as flax and cotton, so
are stronger but less flexible. White coir fibres harvested from
coconuts before they are ripe are white or light brown in
colour and are smoother and finer, but also weaker. They are
generally spun to make yarn. Coir can be used as a terrarium
substrate for reptiles or arachnids.
Corn Cob(See fig. 5)
A corn cob is the central core of a maize (zea mays ssp. Mays
L.) ear. It is the part of the ear on which the kernels grow. The
corn plant’s ear is also considered a ‘cob’ or ‘pole’ but it is not
fully a ‘pole’ until the ear is shucked, or removed from the
plant material around the ear. Young ears, also called baby
corn, can be consumed raw, but as the plant matures the cob
becomes tougher until only the kernels are edible. When
harvesting corn, the corn cob may be collected as part of the
ear or may be left as part of the corn stover in the field. The
innermost part of the cob is white and has a consistency
similar to foam plastic.
USES OF CORN COB
Corn cob finds use in the following applications:
Industrial source of the chemical furfural.
Fiber in fodder for ruminant livestock (despite low nutritional
value).
Water in which corn cobs have been boiled contains thickeners
and can be added to soup stock or made into traditional
sweetened corncob jelly.
Livestock bedding – cobs absorb moisture and provide a
compliant surface.
A mild abrasive for cleaning building surfaces, when coarsely
ground.
Raw material for bowls of corncob pipes.
Fuel – corncobs may be burned to provide heat.
Charcoal production.
Corncobs are also commonly used as bedding for rodents used
as subjects in research experiments, usually supplemented
with other types of bedding like cotton fibre intended to
reduce respiratory problems blamed in turn on all – corncob
bedding and bacterial growth (Source: Wikipedia)27.
The absorbents were broken into smaller sizes and oven-dried
to completely remove moisture(See fig..6 and 7)
Weighing of the Absorbents
Each sorbent was divided into three equal piles so as to carry
out three trials for each of them.
Introduction of the Oil and Water
150ml of water was first introduced into the conical flask and
then 50ml of oil was gently poured into it for each trial.
Introduction of Absorbent
For each trial, a pile of absorbent was introduced into the
water-oil mixture and allowed to completely submerge. The
absorbent was removed from the mixture after two mixtures. It
was held just above the surface of the water-oil mixture for 30
more seconds to drain.
Reading and Recording of the total Water and Oil Level
The final water level, final oil level and the water-oil level was
read and recorded.

3.
International Journal For Research & Development in Technology
Paper Title:- (Vol.2, Issue-6)OIL CLEANUP USING COCONUT HUSK AND CORN COBS AS ABSORBENTS
ISSN(O):- 2349-3585
28 Copyright 2014- IJRDT www.ijrdt.org
Averaging of results obtained for each absorbent The average
of the values obtained for the three trials for each absorbent
was calculated and recorded.Calculation of the ratio of water
to oil for each absorbent The ratio of the remaining water to
the remaining oil for each absorbent was calculated
See table 1).
DISCUSSION OF RESULT
From the results obtained, it has been established that surface
area is a factor in absorption. The larger the surface area of a
material, the more fluid it will absorb. This fact is the basis for
which the grounded corn cob absorbed more oil than the
ungrounded one. It has also been established that the
roughness of the surface of a substance aids its absorption
capability. The rougher the surface of a material, the fluid it
will absorb. This fact was observed during the experiment as
the rough surface of the corn cob aided the absorption of oil.
The result obtained also indicates that coconut husk is the best
oil absorber among the three absorbents tested as it absorbed
more oil than the other. The coconut husk absorbed virtually
all the oil floating on oil than the other. The coconut husk
absorbed virtually all the oil floating on the water. It also had
the largest ratio of remaining water to remaining oil. The
result also shows that the absorbents absorbed a little quantity
of water as expected.
CONCLUSION
In this research work, the absorption capability of oil of
coconut husk, grounded corn cob and ungrounded corn cob
has been compared. It has been discovered that coconut husk
is best at removing oil from water. These absorbents can be
used for the cleanup of oil in a water-oil mixture it has also
been discovered that more volume of oil is absorbed than
water using any of the absorbents. The coconut husk has the
highest ratio of remaining water to remaining oil. Coconut
husk is more or less free of charge, readily available.
RECOMMENDATION
Since coconut husk worked well for the cleanup of engine oil,
it is also expected to work well with crude oil therefore,
coconut husk should be used as an absorbent in a device as an
alternative means for the cleanup of offshore oil spill in the oil
and gas industry as this will reduce the cost of oil spill cleanup
Fig 1: Oil Spill Containment Boom Shown Holding Back Oil
Fig 2:A boat used to out-skim oil
Fig 3: A Special Skimmer with Groove Technology
Fig 4: Coconut Husk
Fig 5: Ungrounded Corn Cob

4.
International Journal For Research & Development in Technology
Paper Title:- (Vol.2, Issue-6)OIL CLEANUP USING COCONUT HUSK AND CORN COBS AS ABSORBENTS
ISSN(O):- 2349-3585
29 Copyright 2014- IJRDT www.ijrdt.org
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Grounded
Corn Cob
Ungrounded
Corn Cob
Cocoanut
Husk
FINALOILLEVEL(ml)
ABSORBENTS
Grounded Corn
Cob
Ungrounded Corn
Cob
Cocoanut HuskFig 6: Grounded Corn Cob
Fig 7: Oven-drying of the coconut husk
RESULTS
Initial water level- 150ml
Initial oil level- 50ml
Table 1: Results Obtained
S/N
Final
Water
Level
(ml)
FinalO
il
Level
(ml)
Oil +
Water
(ml)
Ratio
of
Water
to Oil
1
.
Grounded
Corn
Cob
14
8
26 175 5.
7
2
.
Unground
ed
Corn
Cob
14
9
44 194 3.
4
3
.
Coconut
Husk
14
8
0.
4
148
.
4
37
0
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Spill Cleanup Operations, 1975.
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15. S. H. Kip, Oil Spill Contingency Planning, S P E
Conference, 1988.

5.
International Journal For Research & Development in Technology
Paper Title:- (Vol.2, Issue-6)OIL CLEANUP USING COCONUT HUSK AND CORN COBS AS ABSORBENTS
ISSN(O):- 2349-3585
30 Copyright 2014- IJRDT www.ijrdt.org
16. S. Libovich, Hydrodynamic Problems in Oil Spill
Control and Removal, S P E Conference, 1977.
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21.(http://ask.yahoo.com/20021218.html).
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oilspill-idUSBRE8A10NP 20121102).
23.(Source:http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmen
tal/green-science/cleaning oilspill.htm).
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http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=392
32&Cr=pollutio...)
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cleanup-experiments/a/1697/).
26.(Source:
http://www.appea.com.au/edusite/html/pt/oceans.htm
l).
27. (Source: Wikipedia, 2007).