#TITLE_ALTERNATIVE#

• Main Author: NUGRAHA SETIAWAN (NIM 13703022), ADITYA
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/19811
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

In manufacture industry, we can find zirconia widely as raw material in tiles production and as refractory material for melting furnace lining, kiln furniture, nozzles, crucibles, as a component in advanced ceramics such as oxygen sensor and SOFC, medical application as hydroxyapatite, and for jewelry. Those ZrO2 application connect with special properties and abilities of zirconia, such as high refractoriness properties and abilities that zirconia has e.g high ionic conductivity and high refractoriness.<p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Until now, the use of zirconia in Indonesia is still dependent on import product. On the contrary, zircon (ZrSiO4) as a main source of zirconia has large reserve potential such as in Kalimantan but has not been used optimally. The problem arise from direct decomposition of zircon mineral is high level difficulties because we need very high temperature to decompose it into zirconia. This research is conduct to develop alkali fusion process as an alternative for the zircon purification process in order to increase the efficiency of zircon purification process.<p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Alkali fusion process begin with the mixing of zircon with NaOH as 700 degree C for two hours, continued by separation process such as leaching and sentrifugation, precipitating by adding basic compound and then continued with calcinations for 2 hours at 900 degrees C.<p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The success of this research can be seen from X ray diffraction result which shows zirconia peak. But, Zircon peak is still exist in XRD result. This indicates that there is the necessity to reconduct this process to extract Kalimantan Zircon into zirconia. Therefore, the existence of zircon peak has become an interesting topic for next research to know how far the repetition of alkali fusion process need to be conducted.