MODELLING, SIMULATING, AND VALIDATING THE MODEL OF CATALYTIC CONVERSION OF PALM EMPTY FRUIT BUNCH INTO BIODEGRADABLE PLA

• Main Author: Adriyan, Muchammad
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/68674
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Oil palm Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) is a lignocellulosic biomass produced as waste from the processing of oil palm Fresh Fruit Bunch (FFB). EFB contains cellulose and hemicellulose which can be converted into Polylactic Acid (PLA), a raw material for producing biodegradable plastics. EFB has the highest average content of cellulose and hemicellulose compared to other linocellulosic biomass alternatives in Indonesia, such as corn stover, sugarcane bagasse, and rice husk. Catalytic conversion of EFB into PLA happens through four steps: pre-treatment of EFB to eliminate lignin and extractives, catalytic conversion of EFB into Lactic Acid (LA), purification of the LA product, and polymerization of LA into PLA. The model for the catalytic conversion of EFB into PLA is built using Aspen Plus V11 based on experimental data by past researchers: Jauhari (2017) and Christopher and Natanael (2020), with refinements from past researchers’ models (Fujiyama, 2020; Zahra and Pramudya, 2021). Simulation on the model for pre-treatment of EFB using the alkaline hydrothermal method with 67.1 grams of EFB feed at room conditions (30oC, 1 atm) resulted in 22.3 grams of cellulose and 12.36 grams of hemicellulose, in accordance with experimental results from Jauhari (2017). Simulation on the model for catalytic conversion of EFB into PLA using PbCl2 as catalyst with 50 grams of pre-treated EFB feed at 30oC and 20 bar (19.74 atm) reacted for 4 hours resulted in 22.31 grams of LA, in accordance with experimental results from Jauhari (2017). Simulation on the model for separation of PbCl2 catalyst by precipitation using aqueous H2SO4 solution at room conditions (30oC, 1 atm) resulted in 6.94 grams solid PbSO4, in accordance with experimental results from Jauhari (2017). Simulation on the model for esterification using n-butanol and hydrolysis at 90oC and 1 atm was able to remove 92.3% of HMF impurities and resulted in an LA recovery value of 78.17%, with negligible error (0.03%) compared to experimental results from Jauhari (2017). Simulation on the model for steam distillation using vigreux distillation column at 0.4 bar (0.39 atm), with LA mixture feed at 85oC and steam feed at 100oC resulted in 2.66 grams of recovered LA, in accordance with experimental results from Christopher and Natanael (2020). Simulation on the model for direct polycondensation polymerization of LA into PLA at 180oC and 50 Torr (0.07 atm) resulted in PLA polymers with a molecular weight of 75,041 g/mol, with negligible error (1.89%) compared to experimental results from Jauhari (2017).