Structural characteristics and oil-removal mechanisms of the adsorbents made from petrochemical sludge

A new type of carbon-inorganic absorbent with good oil-removing performance is prepared by sintering and activating petrochemical sludge. Of the absorbents prepared by three different methods (non-activated, vapor /840 ℃/6 h, CO2/1 000 ℃/2 h), the one prepared by the second method is the best in oil-removing, which can remove 60% of oil from petrochemical wastewater with a concentration of 76.42 mg/L. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis shows that the constituents of the adsorbents are basically similar to those of inorganic granulating materials, such as SiO2, Al2O3, orthoclase feldspar, iron ore, etc. Composition analysis reveals that the activated absorbent has a large specific surface area with a high carbon content in activated compositions and a good oil-removing capability.