Nanocellulose- and Modified Wood-Based Sorbents for Oily Waste Cleanup

Oily waste contaminated water brings disastrous consequences to the environment, ecology, and public health. Rapid and complete removal of the oily contaminants can be achieved using sorbents; yet, commercial sorbents derived from inorganic minerals or synthetic polymers pose limitations regarding poor oil sorption capacity and recalcitrance toward degradation after use. Solutions to such issues can be provided by developing nanocellulose- and modified wood-based sorbents due to their renewability, low toxicity, and ease of biodegradation. The tunable surface chemistry of cellulose enables the potential of hydrophobic modification to increase the material's affinity with oily waste. This chapter highlights on enhancing the mechanical robustness and sorption performance of such porous sorbents. Different physical and chemical approaches to achieve these purposes, including structural design, surface functionalization, and thermal treatment, are evaluated comprehensively and compared with regard to oil sorption capacity, sorption selectivity, and performance retention over cycles. Areas requiring future study include process safety, real scenario evaluation, and life cycle assessment, which are discussed in the conclusion of this chapter.