Non conventional low-cost cellulose and keratin based biopolymeric sorbents for oil/water separation and spill cleanup - A review

Oil spills remain an inevitable risk in the exploration, production and transportation of hydrocarbons. Their impacts on the environment are usually severe, hence effective and efficient response strategies are essential to minimise environmental damage. Conventional synthetic oil sorbents are the most widely used sorbents for spill clean-up but are usually expensive and non-biodegradable. Low-cost non-conventional biopolymeric sorbents are now emerging as alternatives to conventional sorbents used in oil spill clean-up owing to their availability and eco-friendliness. In this review, we present low-cost non-conventional cellulose and keratin based biopolymeric oil sorbents highlighting their oil sorption capacities, properties and mechanisms.