MODIFICATION OF BIOMATERIALS FOR FUNCTIONAL APPLICATION

Oil spills are a global concern due to the environmental and economic impact. In this study, natural fibres have been modified using fatty acid to impart acetyl groups and make them hydrophobic, so that they can be used for oil spill cleanup. The plant biomass used here is a renewable resource that can be converted into useful materials. The product soformed was characterized by FT-IR, SEM and its acid value was also evaluated. The extent of modification was measured by weight percent gain and acid value. Studies indicated that a simple squeezing operation was sufficient to remove most of the oil sorbed on the fibres, so that the sorbents could be reused several times for oil spill cleanup. The results suggest that a total or partial substitution of commercial synthetic materials by natural sorbent materials with improved efficiency of oil sorption and biodegradability could be beneficial in the oil spill cleanup operation.