Date of Completion

2024

Document Type

Research Project

Degree Name

Grade 12

Keywords

Oil adsorption, Petroleum, Cacao, Oil spill

Abstract

The Philippines is an archipelagic country in the Coral Triangle known for its abundant underwater ecosystem. However, over the past few years, oil spills have threatened not only the ecosystem but also the livelihood of the people because of the high cost of clean-up methods. Thus, this study aims to evaluate cacao pod husks (CPH), a deemed agricultural waste in the country, as an alternative in adsorbing petroleum products commonly found in oil spills, such as diesel, gasoline, and used engine oil. In this study, the CPH samples were processed and submerged in different oil-water solutions wherein the adsorptive capacity was computed based on the oil-sorption formula. Results showed that CPH has the highest adsorptive capacity of 2.25 in used engine oil and 0.33 and -0.17 in gasoline and diesel, respectively. Post-hoc analysis further confirmed that the adsorptive capacity of CPH in used engine oil is significantly different from gasoline and diesel. The findings of this study suggest that CPH is a potential alternative for cleaning up oil spills, and further research is needed in order to determine the CPH particle size suitable for adsorbing gasoline and diesel efficiently.

First Advisor

Pauline L. Cueno

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