Abstract: The crude oil absorption behaviour of chemically modified celluloses was investigated. The result showed that only three out of eleven modified celluloses are effective as crude oil absorbents; benzoyl modified cellulose BMC, toluene diisocyanate cellulose TDC, toluenediisocyanate cellulose blown TDCb. These three crude oil absorbents posses the same functional group; the carbonyl. The IR of these three cellulose absorbents showed the presence of carbonyl group 1425.51 cm 1, 1533.06 cm l and 1535.82 cm l, respectively for BMC, TDC and TDCb. The order of crude oil absorptivity are TDCb > BMC > TDC.