Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 19 No 1 (2015): 155 – 162

 

 

 

EFFECT OF CHITOSAN BINDER ON WATER ABSORPTION OF EMPTY FRUIT BUNCHES FILTER MEDIA

 

(Kesan Kitosan Sebagai Pengikat Keatas Penjerapan Air Media Penapis Tandan Kosong Kelapa Sawit)

 

Aziatul Niza Sadikin^{1, 3}*, Mohd Ghazali Mohd Nawawi^{1, 3}, Norasikin Othman^{1, 3}, Umi Aisah Asli^{1, 4},

Roshafima Rasit Ali^{1, 5}, Hasrinah Hasbullah^{2, 6}, Norazana Ibrahim^{2, 7}

 

¹Faculty of Chemical Engineering,

²Faculty of Petroleum & Renewable Engineering,

³Center of Lipid and Applied Research,

⁴Institute Hydrogen Economy,

⁵Composite Centre,

⁶Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre,

⁷Gas Technology Centre,

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: aziatulniza@cheme.utm.my

 

 

Abstract

The potential of chitosan as filter media binder was investigated in this study. Chitosan solution with different concentrations were applied to the empty fruit bunches using two different deposition techniques, namely, spray method and addition method. In this study, a water absorption test was used to study the sorption behaviour of empty fruit bunches filter media. The water absorption study showed that the water uptake for empty fruit bunches filter media without the chitosan binder increases with time, until the water sorption reaches the equilibrium state. It was observed that the water uptake decreased from 23% to 14% for the chitosan-filled filter media as compared to binder-less filter media, over the duration of 24 hours. For 1% chitosan concentration, the water uptake is higher compared to 3% chitosan-filled filter media. The water absorption is relatively lower for filter media with a higher concentration of chitosan due to the high compatibility achieved at this interfacial region between empty fruit bunches fibres and chitosan. Alkali-treated filter media showed the lowest water uptake compared to diethyl ether, ethanol and hot water pretreatment methods.

 

Keywords: empty fruit bunch, filter media, chitosan, water absorption

 

Abstrak

Potensi kitosan sebagai pengikat media penapis telah dikaji dalam kajian ini. Pelarut kitosan dengan kepekatan yang berbeza telah digunakan untuk tandan kosong buah kelapa sawit dengan menggunakan dua teknik penyaduran yang berbeza, iaitu, kaedah semburan dan kaedah tambahan. Dalam kajian ini, ujian penyerapan air digunakan untuk mengkaji kelakuan serapan media penapis dari tandan kosong buah kelapa sawit. Kajian penyerapan air menunjukkan bahawa pengambilan air untuk tandan buah kosong penapis media tanpa pengikat kitosan meningkat dengan masa, sehingga penyerapan air mencapai keseimbangan. Diperhatikan bahawa pengambilan air sepanjang 24 jam, menurun daripada 23% kepada 14% untuk media penapis berisi kitosan berbanding media penapis tanpa pengikat. Untuk kepekatan 1% kitosan, serabut media mempunyai jurang lebar yang lebih tinggi berbanding dengan penapis kitosan yang berkepekatan 4%. Penyerapan air untuk penapis media dengan kepekatan yang lebih tinggi adalah rendah kerana keserasian yang tinggi dicapai pada rantau di antara permukaan serat tandan kosong kelapa sawit dan kitosan.

 

Kata kunci: tandan kosong kelapa sawit, media penapis, kitosan, penjerapan air

 

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