Removal of Bunker Oil in Contaminated Seawater Using Biochar from Chicken Bones Via Slow Pyrolysis

Abstract An oil spill is the unintended or deliberate release of petroleum hydrocarbons into the environment, particularly the marine ecosystem. The disseminated oil can either evaporate or form a surface slick, disperse in the water, or submerge and deposit in the sediments. One of the standard methods is the use of sorbents. Pyrolysis is one of the simplest methods for converting biomass, and it involves heating organic material in the absence of oxygen. The natural polymeric ingredients of the process are bio-oil (condensable vapours), char (solid fraction), and non-condensable gases. Chicken bones were used to produce biochar via slow pyrolysis at varying operating temperature (400°C, 450°C and 500°C) and residence time (45min, 60min and 75min) to acquire the Chicken Bones Biochar (CBB). The CBB was used to obtain Chicken Bones Activated Biochar (CBAB) after it was subjected to KOH Activation Process. For the yield obtained, the lowest temperature and shorter residence time acquired the highest yield for both CBB and CBAB. The characterization of the products was carried out by using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The products were evaluated after it was subjected to a bunker oil contaminated seawater and the adsorption capacity was determined with varying contact time (40min, 50min and 60min). A high absorbance of the CBB and CBAB indicated the feasibility of the chicken bone as an adsorbent material.