Biodegradable oil gelling agent was prepared, and their oil absorption capacities using light oil, lubricant oil and corn oil were investigated. The result showed that the oil absorption capacity was depended on the amount of surfactant and starch added, and was increased in the order of light oil, lubricant oil and corn oil. Also, the oil-absorption capacity was saturated within 30 min at 18℃. The biodegradability of the prepared biodegradable oil gelling agent was also studied by determination of reduced sugar produced after enzymatic hydrolysis. Their surface morphologies and thermal properties of the prepared biodegradable oil gelling agent were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively.

For the purpose of developing a new process for the elimination of oil components from oily waste water, experimental researches using oil gelling agent were performed. The process is composed of three units, that is, decantator, gelling column and adsorption column. l0g of gelling agent in the gelling column could effectively absorb 15.65g of oil from ship washing waste water and 16.93g of oil from steel industry waste water. COD in waste waters dramatically diminished not in the gelling column but in the adsorption column. The gelling is hindered by other organic components in waste water, and the optimum space time for the gelling column is 20min. lg of gelling agent absorbed 3.7-4.0g of oil from waste waters with 25 min in the batch operation.