ANALYSIS OF THE SORPTION OF PETROLEUM SUBSTANCES BY SORBENTS AT VARYING DEGREES OF MIXING

Sorbents are porous materials used by fire services to remove petroleum spills. Their effectiveness isbased on properties such as surface area, porosity, and absorbency, which are assessed using methodsincluding BET, BJH, DFT, and capillary rise. Sorbents must meet standards before use. This studyexamined the sorption of diesel fuel oil and petroleum gasoline by two sorbents (Compact andChernozem) and their mixtures using the capillary rise method. Five compositions were tested intriplicate to calculate absorption capacities. Pure Compact had the longest sorption time, while pureChernozem had the shortest. Among mixtures, the 75% Compact – 25% Chernozem mixture hadthe slowest sorption rate, and the 25% Compact – 75% Chernozem mixture had the fastest. Compactabsorbed the most sorbate, while Chernozem absorbed the least. Absorption capacity was highest forpure Compact (0.78 g/g for petroleum gasoline, 0.91 g/g for diesel) and lowest for pure Chernozem(0.19 g/g for petroleum gasoline, 0.29 g/g for diesel), decreasing with increasing Chernozem content.It was observed that Compact sorbent, being lighter and more efficient, is ideal for rescue operations.Absorption increases with Compact content, with diesel absorbed more than petroleum gasoline.Higher Compact proportions lead to longer sorption times and greater mass absorption, except forthe 75% Compact – 25% Chernozem mixture, which absorbs diesel faster than the 50% – 50%mixture.