Sains Malaysiana 46(1)(2017): 167–173

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2017-4601-21

Combination of Gamma Irradiation and Sodium Carbonate Pretreatment on Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) for High Acidic Hydrolysis Yield

(Gabungan Prarawatan Iradiasi Gamma dan Natrium Karbonat ke atas Serabut Tandan

Kosong Kelapa Sawit (EFB) untuk Hasil Hidrolisis Asid Tinggi)

SIEW XIAN CHIN^1,2* CHIN HUA CHIA¹, SARANI ZAKARIA¹, SAHRIM HJ. AHMAD¹

& SITI MASRINDA TASIRIN²

¹Bioresources and Biorefinery Laboratory, School of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science

and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

²Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

43600 Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Received: 28 March 2015/Accepted: 26 January 2016

ABSTRACT

Oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibres were pretreated by gamma irradiation followed by sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃) before the acid hydrolysis process to produce reducing sugars using diluted sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄). In this study, EFB fibres were irradiated at different doses, i.e. 0, 100 and 200 kGy. Meanwhile, the gamma irradiated sample were then subjected to Na₂CO₃ pretreatment with 0 and 5% total titratable alkali (TTA). The effect of the pretreatment using gamma irradiation and Na₂CO₃ on the physical and chemical properties of the EFB fibres and the yield of the reducing sugar obtained from the acid hydrolysis process was investigated. The obtained results showed that the content of holocellulose was increased significantly with the increase of irradiation doses combined with Na₂CO₃ pretreatment, whereas lignin content of the EFB was decreased. The gamma irradiation and Na₂CO₃ pretreatment resulted in structure breakage and removal of silica of EFB fibres which can be due to the swelling of the fibres. A synergistic effect between gamma irradiation and Na₂CO₃ was observed, in which the yield of reducing sugars was increased by combining the gamma irradiation and Na₂CO₃ pretreatment.

Keywords: Acid hydrolysis; holocellulose; lignin; sodium carbonate

ABSTRAK

Serabut tandan kosong kelapa sawit (EFB) telah diprarawat dengan iradiasi gamma dan natrium karbonat (Na₂CO₃) sebelum proses hidrolisis asid untuk penghasilan gula penurun menggunakan asid sulfurik cair (H₂SO₄). Dalam kajian ini, EFB diradiasikan pada dos sinaran gamma yang berbeza iaitu, 0, 100 dan 200 kGy. Kemudian, EFB tersebut diprarawat dengan Na₂CO₃ pada kepekatan 0 dan 5% kealkalian boleh titrat (TTA). Kesan prarawatan iradiasi gamma dan Na₂CO₃ terhadap sifat fizikal dan kimia EFB serta penghasilan gula penurun daripada proses hidrolisis asid telah dikaji. Keputusan yang diperoleh menunjukkan kesan prarawatan menyebabkan peningkatan kandungan holoselulosa yang ketara dengan peningkatan dos iradiasi gamma digabungkan dengan prarawatan Na₂CO₃, manakala kandungan lignin daripada EFB semakin berkurang. Prarawatan iradiasi gamma dan Na₂CO₃ boleh menyebabkan kerosakan struktur dan penyingkiran silika daripada gentian EFB disebabkan oleh kesan pembengkakan gentian. Kesan sinergistik antara iradiasi gamma dan Na₂CO₃ diperhatikan, dengan penghasilan gula penurun meningkat kesan gabungan prarawatan iradiasi gamma dan Na₂CO₃.

Kata kunci: Hidrolisis asid; holoselulosa; lignin; natrium karbonat

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*Corresponding author; email: sxchin88@hotmail.com