Current Status of Cellulosic and Nanocellulosic Materials for Oil Spill Cleanup

Recent developments in the application of lignocellulosic materials for oil spill removal are discussed in this review article. The types of lignocellulosic substrate material and their different chemical and physical modification strategies and basic preparation techniques are presented. The morphological features and the related separation mechanisms of the materials are summarized. The material types were classified into 3D-materials such as hydrophobic and oleophobic sponges and aerogels, or 2D-materials such as membranes, fabrics, films, and meshes. It was found that, particularly for 3D-materials, there is a clear correlation between the material properties, mainly porosity and density, and their absorption performance. Furthermore, it was shown that nanocellulosic precursors are not exclusively suitable to achieve competitive porosity and therefore absorption performance, but also bulk cellulose materials. This finding could lead to developments in cost- and energy-efficient production processes of future lignocellulosic oil spillage removal materials.