Isotherm and kinetic studies of cooking oil adsorption onto treated oil palm mesocarp fibers

Abstract

One of the major pollutants that deteriorate aquatic system quality is originated from cooking oil waste (COW). Moreover, the amount of cooking oil waste produced increased annually. Cooking oil waste discharges into drainage system without proper disposal method that blockage water system. An oil layer covers water surface and prevents the dissolution of oxygen which will be disturbing the aquatic system. Due to this improper cooking oil waste disposal method, a step must be taken to overcome this problem. Mostly, palm oil is extracted from the mesocarp of oil palm fruit, leaving behind the solid waste of oil palm mesocarp fiber (OPMF). Therefore, the ability of OPMF to adsorb cooking oil waste from synthetic oily wastewater was investigated. OPMF was collected from local oil palm mills and washed to remove dirt particles. Due to the presence of hydoxyl group in OPMFs, the fibers were subjected to alkali, peroxide and acetylation treatments to modify the hydrophilic characteristic of OPMF.