Hygroscopic ramie fabrics for recovering highly viscous low sulfur fuel oil.

Young A Lee, Young Cheol Park, Ochang Kwon, Seong Jin Kim, Seok Chung, Myoung-Woon Moon

Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987) 2022 Sep 01

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Low sulfur fuel oils (LSFOs) with less than 0.5% sulfur content have been mandated for marine vessels by the International Maritime Organization since 2020. However, owing to the low dispersibility and high viscosity of LSFOs, their oceanic spills are difficult to clean using conventional response systems. In this study, we propose a superhydrophilic and hygroscopic ramie to clean spilled LSFO. To this end, a raw ramie fiber, which is intrinsically hydrophobic, was treated using a mild alkali to remove its waxy, rough, and gummy veneer and reveal a smooth surface. This substantially improved its hygroscopic nature, superhydrophilicity, and water-retention, while preserving its mechanical durability in dry and wet environments. The hygroscopic ramie exhibited underwater superoleophobicity and self-cleaning abilities against highly adhesive LSFOs. Two proofs-of-concept are demonstrated in this study-an oil-proof glove for maximizing oil repellency and a direct oil-scooping device for simple and continuous recovery of spilled oil with high efficiency. Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Citation

Young A Lee, Young Cheol Park, Ochang Kwon, Seong Jin Kim, Seok Chung, Myoung-Woon Moon. Hygroscopic ramie fabrics for recovering highly viscous low sulfur fuel oil. Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987). 2022 Sep 01;308:119668