Treatment of oily waters using vermiculite

Water Res. 2005 Jul;39(12):2643-53. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2005.04.034.

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to examine the removal of oil from water by expanded and hydrophobized vermiculite. A pH of 9 showed a higher removal efficiency of oil by vermiculite. Oil removal efficiencies at pH 9 were found to be 79%, 93%, 90%, 57% for standard mineral oil (SMO), Canola oil (CO), Kutwell oil (KUT45), refinery effluent (RE), respectively, in the case of expanded vermiculite, and 56%, 58%, 47%, 43% for SMO, CO, KUT45 and RE, respectively, for hydrophobized vermiculite. Kinetic data satisfied both the Lagergren and Ho models. Equilibrium studies showed that the Langmuir isotherm was the best-fit isotherm for oil removal by both expanded and hydrophobized vermiculite. The data showed a higher adsorptive capacity by the expanded vermiculite compared to the hydrophobized vermiculite. Desorption studies showed that the expanded vermiculite did not desorb oil to the same extent compared to hydrophobized vermiculite. The Freundlich isotherm was the best-fit model for desorption. Expanded vermiculite showed better retention than hydrophobic vermiculite. The results showed that the expanded vermiculite had a greater affinity for oil than hydrophobized vermiculite.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Aluminum Silicates / chemistry*
  • Drug Combinations
  • Erucic Acids / isolation & purification
  • Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / isolation & purification
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Kinetics
  • Mineral Oil / isolation & purification
  • Oils / isolation & purification*
  • Rapeseed Oil
  • Regression Analysis
  • Thermodynamics
  • Triolein / isolation & purification
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid / methods*
  • Water Purification / methods*

Substances

  • Aluminum Silicates
  • Drug Combinations
  • Erucic Acids
  • Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated
  • Lorenzo's oil
  • Oils
  • Rapeseed Oil
  • Triolein
  • vermiculite
  • Mineral Oil