Date of this Version Published in Chem. Eng. Technol. (2011)
34:12, 1989–1996. DOI: 10.1002/ceat.201100353 Sugarcane bagasse
was partially acetylated to enhance its oil-wicking ability in
saturated environments while holding moisture for hydrocarbon
biodegradation. The water sorption capacity of raw bagasse was
reduced fourfold after treatment, which indicated considerably
increased hydrophobicity but not a limited capability to hold
moisture for hydrocarbon biodegradation. Characterization
results by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), scanning electron
microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and surface area
analyzer suggested that treated bagasse exhibited enhanced
hydrophobicity and surface area. Oil wicking test results
indicate that treated bagasse is more effective in wicking oil
from highly saturated environments than raw bagasse and suggest
that application of this material in remediation of oil spills
in highly saturated wetlands is promising.