Virtual Booth

Abstract

In Malaysia, the oil industry constitutes a significant portion of the national GDP and plays a vital role in the country's economy. However, one of the inevitable risks associated with oil production and transportation is oil spills. Existing remediation methods are often expensive, time-consuming, less effective, or harmful to local wildlife.

Our proposed solution addresses this issue while also tackling the waste problem of rice straws discarded annually. By treating rice straws with SDS chemicals to render them hydrophobic and lipophilic, we aim to repurpose them as eco-friendly oil absorbents. These treated straws are woven into nets that can be deployed rapidly in affected areas to soak up spilled oil. Once saturated, the nets can be squeezed to extract the oil and then transported to a pyrolysis facility, where the used materials can be recycled. This approach offers a cost-effective, flexible, and environmentally sustainable method to manage the posed problems.