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Abstract The objective of this project is to provide a safe and efficient method for cleaning up oil spills and recovering the oil. Bagasse which is considered a waste from the sugar cane industry, has been, suggested as a raw material for this study. Experiments were carried out on raw pith bagasse to study its sorption affinity for oil and water under different variable conditions. Simulated sea water conditions have been achieved by adding 35 gm of sodium chloride/liter to water, on which surface a layer of the oil under investigation has been formed. Also a shaker has been employed in some experiment to study the action of waves in the open sea, Treatment of the bagasse has been carried out on both pith and tough fibers separately to improve their oleophilic: and hydrophobic properties and form them in shapes suitable for use in oil spill cleanup. Intensive boiling of the pith bagasse to get rid of the sugars increases the pith oleophilic characteristics. The boiling temperature and time, solid-liquid ratio, and the drying temperature of the treated pith together with its time have been found factors which affect the characteristics of the product. |