Oil Sequestration Characteristics of Oil Palm Mesocarp Fiber-Derived Biochar

The pollution associated with oil spills poses a serious threat to humans and the environment. In this study, biochar was prepared from oil palm mesocarp fiber for the separation of oil from an oil–water matrix. Oil palm mesocarp fiber biochar (OPMFB) and its NaOH-modified derivative (M-OPMFB) sorbents were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. The sorbents were utilized for the adsorption of crude oil from simulated oil spills. The FTIR analysis reveals new peaks and peaks with enhanced intensities in M-OPMFB compared to OPMFB. The results of batch adsorption experiments showed that OPMFB and M-OPMFB exhibited excellent adsorption capacities of 7.229 and 8.118 g/g, respectively. It was demonstrated that the Avrami fractional model sufficiently explained the kinetic data, whereas the Langmuir isotherm was the best-fitting model for the equilibrium data, showing a one-layer oil adsorption onto OPMFB. The OPMFB–oil interaction was nonspontaneous, whereas the M-OPMFB–oil interaction was spontaneous. Conclusively, NaOH activation enhanced the oil uptake and hydrophobic characteristics of OPMF biomass. Therefore, the use of NaOH-incorporated OPMF biochar for the adsorption of oil spills is highly recommended.