A Silica–Lignin Hybrid Filler in a Natural Rubber Foam Composite as a Green Oil Spill Absorbent

Abstract

Oil spills in the marine environment are a rising concern due to their adverse impacts on living creatures and the environment. Hence, remediation methods have been used to remove the oil from the contaminated water. A sorbent material is considered the best method for oil spill absorption. However, commonly used commercial sorbents are made from nonrenewable and nonenvironmentally friendly materials. In this research, natural rubber foam (NRF) was used as a sorbent material with the addition of a filler, i.e., silica and a silica–lignin hybrid, to increase its oil sorption capacity and reusability. The silica and silica–lignin hybrid were extracted from rice husk waste by means of the precipitation method. The silica–lignin hybrid-filled NRF exhibited excellent hydrophobicity, with a water contact angle of 133°, and had more stable reusability compared to unfilled NRF and silica-filled NRF. In addition, the optimum oil absorption capacity of silica–lignin hybrid-filled NRF was 1.36 g g−1. Overall, the results showed that silica–lignin hybrid-filled NRF has the potential to be developed as a green oil absorbent material and is promising in terms of economic and environmental aspects.

Biobased Castor Oil-Based Polyurethane Foams Grafted with Octadecylsilane-Modified Diatomite for Use as Eco-Friendly and Low-Cost Sorbents for Crude Oil Clean-Up Applications

“…There are also other research works on surface modifications of polyurethane using various chemical moieties and nanomaterials for enhanced oil absorption reported [ 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 ]. There are several recent research works reported in the development of polymer foams for oil–water separations, which elucidates the potential of these foams as promising agents for removing oil from water bodies [ 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 ].…”

Bio-Based Polyurethane Foams for the Removal of Petroleum-Derived Pollutants: Sorption in Batch and in Continuous-Flow

“…In this paper, we focused our attention on sorption and the chemical–physical parameters that affect this methodology [ 14 ]. Sorbent can be divided into two categories: synthetic and natural [ 15 , 16 ]. Synthetic sorbents such as rubbers, membranes, foams and aerogels are generally made from non-renewable chemicals, and they possess low or no tendency to biodegradation in natural conditions [ 17 , 18 ].…”

Recycled silica as a renewable and sustainable alternative to carbon black in natural rubber foams

“…Traditionally, carbon black (CB) has been used as a reinforcing filler in NR foams 6 . Rubber foams are commonly used in several industries such as automotive, construction and footwear, especially for applications requiring cushioning, insulation or vibration dampening 7–9 . The production of CB, as a petroleum‐based material, requires a high amount of energy leading to environmental issues and costs 10 .…”

“…NR foams with various hybrid (silica−lignin) filler contents were prepared by Mardiyati et al . as ‘green’ oil absorbents 7 . The minimum torque (125%), scorch time (102%), optimum curing time (52%), cell size (33%) and expansion ratio (23%) all increased with increasing filler concentration from 3 to 9 phr.…”