POTASSIUM MULTI-STAGE EXTRACTION FROM PALM ASH (SHELL, FIBER, AND EMPTY FRUIT BUNCH)

• Main Author: Thalia D I, Felica
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/48512
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Indonesia is one of the largest producer as well as exporter of palm oil in the world. Having a spacious area of palm oil estate, Indonesia is also one of potassium importer for fulfilling its needs of potash fertilizer. On the other hand, only one-fifth of the palm fruit can be produced as palm oil. The rest becomes biomass that sometimes ends as waste. This research aims to analyze the feasibility of palm ash utilization particularly from empty fruit bunch, shell, fiber, combination of fiber and shell (85:15), and combination of empty fruit bunch, shell, and fiber (1:1:1) as the source of potassium needs using solid-liquid multi-stage extraction. Palm biomass ash has high potassium content to be extracted (empty fruit bunch: 57,2%-w, fiber: 22,3%-w, and shell: 12,2%-w). The utilization of palm biomass ash can been considered as one way to motivate Indonesia to be independent in producing potash fertilizer. In this research, the extraction process was done in 2 stages in which each stage lasted for 3 hours, on temperature 80oC and agitator speed 300-400 rpm. The variations carried out are palm biomass type and ash to solvent ratio for obtaining the optimum potassium yield from the extraction process. The biomasses used in this research are empty fruit bunch, shell, fiber, combination of fiber and shell (85:15), and combination of empty fruit bunch, shell, and fiber (1:1:1). The ash to solvent ratio used are 1:3, 1:4, and 1:6. In this research, the main tool used is a set of solid-liquid extraction tool including three-neck boiling flask equipped with a water bath, stirrer, thermometer, and condenser. Biomass with the highest potassium yield and recovery is combination of empty fruit bunch, fiber, and shell (1:1:1) with value of 24,99% and 68,8% in order. Meanwhile, the most optimum ash to solvent ratio for obtaining the highest potassium yield and recovery in extraction process is 1:6 for all type of biomass except empty fruit bunch which the optimum ash to solvent ratio is 1:4. Therefore, the most feasible palm biomass for potassium extraction is combination of empty fruit bunch, fiber, and shell (1:1:1), it is because it has the highest potassium yield.