Produção e caracterização de criogéis de celulose Pinus elliottiii para a adsorção de petróleo

Abstract

The production of cellulose cryogels for oil adsorption becomes an interesting study since cellulose is an economical, renewable, biodegradable and abundant source in the environment. Within this context, the aim of the present work was to develop cellulose cryogels with oil adsorption capacity and mechanical strength. The use of chemical treatments such as silanization and the addition of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at concentrations of 4 and 8% (m/m) were used. In the silanization two methods were studied: the addition of methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) to cellulose suspension and the vapor deposition of MTMS in the cryogel. The cellulose suspension was obtained from mechanical fibrillation of 1.5% (w/w) unbleached long fiber cellulose (FLNB) of Pinus elliottii for 5 h at 2500 rpm. The suspension was then frozen at -80°C for 24 h and then freeze-drying at -40°C for 70 h. Various characterization assays were performed on the cryogels, including: specific mass and porosity, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), crystallinity index, Fourrier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), compression, hydrophobicity, adsorption and desorption capacity, adsorption kinetics and isotherms. Among the silanization methods, the vapor deposition of MTMS presented the highest values of homogeneous (65.18 g.g-1) and heterogeneous (68.42 g.g-1) experimental adsorption capacity. About the addition of NaOH, 4% added cryogel exhibited a 28% higher compressive strength than untreated cryogel. Thus, the adsorption process was performed with cryogel produced with 4% NaOH and vapor deposition of MTMS (FLNB-4D). The heterogeneous experimental adsorption capacity and the compressive strength of the FLNB- 4D cryogel were 21.80 g.g-1 and 93.16 kPa, respectively. In the study of the kinetics, the model that best fitted the process was pseudosecond order and for the study of the adsorption equilibrium was Langmuir. Finally, it is concluded that the process of adsorption of oil by cellulose cryogel can be defined as physisorption and occurs in monolayer. In addition, the cellulose cryogel developed in the present work is suitable for use in the adsorption of petroleum.