An Experimental Study of a Method of Potassium Removal from Hydrolisate Solution Produced by Hydrothermal Treatment of Palm Biomass

• Main Author: Triutami, Endah
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/38464
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Empty fruit bunches (EFB) of palm are waste from palm oil processing plants that potentially become a source of clean and environmentally friendly renewable energy. In processing palm biomass to become energy, there are some problems in operations, such as the deposition of ash (fouling and slagging) and ash agglomeration caused by high concentration alkali metal content from the EFB that causes the melting point of ash is low. Besides the alkali metal content, the high moisture, low bulk density, and low energy density of EFB are some challenging problems in thermo-chemical conversion. Hydrothermal treatment is one of methodes to reduce the alkali metal content. Potassium in EFB will be dissolved in water during the hydrothermal treatment process, so the hydrolysate will cointain high potassium content. The potassium can be separated from the hydrolysate and has the potential as raw material for single or compound fertilizers. The purpose of this research is to review a method of potassium removal from solution of hydrolysate model produced by hydrothermal treatment with the addition of ethanol. This research was carried out with 3 steps: the preparation of the evaporation curve solution for the hydrolysate model, determine the effect of ethanol on separation of potassium chloride (KCl), and KCl separation from the solution of hydrolysate model. The composition of solution for the hydrolysate model is obtained from 2 stages hydrothermal treatment of EFB at a fixed operation conditions, 150oC, L/S 7,5, and 60 minutes holding time. The separation of KCl from the hydrolysate model was carried out at 25oC and addition of ethanol followed the ratio water:ethanol = 10:4. The AAS test and XRF test on the sample was carried out to obtain the yield of KCl. The results showed that KCl purity from evaporation of hydrolysate model solution was 79 - 85%, whereas using ethanol reached 85 - 90%. Potassium chloride separation of precipitate from evaporation and followed with using ethanol reached 90 - 93% purity. The higher purity of KCl in the precipitate formed, the lower yield value obtained.