An approach for the reuse of Dacryodes edulis leaf: Characterization, acetylation and crude oil sorption studies

This work investigated the modification of Dacyodes edulis leaf (DEL) by acetylation to give acetylated Dacryodes edulis leaf (ADEL) and their applications to treatment of crude oil polluted waters. DEL acetylation was favoured by low temperature, increased time of acetylation, and in the absence of catalyst. Crude oil sorption kinetic data were best fitted by liquid film diffusion and pseudo-first order kinetic models for DEL, but pseudo-second order kinetic model best fits crude oil sorption data by ADEL. Equilibrium crude oil sorption data were best fitted into Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms for ADEL and DEL respectively. Results suggest that ADEL is more suitable for crude oil sorption than DEL, therefore, possesses more potential for application in treatment of oil spillage.