Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 21 No 2 (2017): 470 - 483

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17576/mjas-2017-2102-23

 

 

 

EFFECT OF MASS LOADING AND MICROWAVE ABSORBER APPLICATION METHOD ON THE PRODUCT FROM MICROWAVE ASSISTED PYROLYSIS OF PALM OIL MILL EFFLUENT

 

(Kesan Beban Jisim dan Aplikasi Kaedah Penyerap Gelombang Mikro Kepada Produk Terhasil daripada Sisa Buangan Kilang Kelapa Sawit Melalui Proses Pirolisis Bantuan Gelombang Mikro)

 

Zakiuddin Januri¹, Siti Shawalliah Idris^{1, 2}*, Hafifah Amirah Akhawan¹, Norazah Abd. Rahman^{1, 2, 3}, Sharmeela Matali^{1, 2}, Shareena Fairuz Abd Manaf^{1, 2}

 

¹Faculty of Chemical Engineering

²CoRe of Green Technology & Sustainable Development

³CoRe of Frontier Materials & Industry Application

Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: shawal075@salam.uitm.edu.my

 

 

Received: 21 October 2015; Accepted: 14 June 2016

 

 

Abstract

Approximately, about 50 million tons of Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) is produced every year, however, discharge of POME to open water source will cause negative impact to environment. High production of POME make it impossible to dispose at the disposal company, therefore, in-situ treatment has been developed. Current disposal method implemented by palm oil industries is through biodegradable pond. This method is applied due to high water content in POME about 90% of water. Microwave assisted pyrolysis would be an alternative method to deal with the POME since not only can disposed but also can convert to valuable material such as solid char and pyrolytic oil. In this paper, effect of mass loading of POME at a range of 100 to 500 grams with additional activated carbon (AC) was studied. Microwave power level, radiation time and mixing ratio of AC were set constant at 1000W, 30 minutes and 5% respectively. Product yields of solid and liquid were analyzed for the best process performance. Solid char obtained has a potential to use as solid fuel since its energy content was >20 MJ/kg and has high carbon content at >80%. Meanwhile, about 20% of chemical content in the pyrolytic oil has the carbon number in the range of C₁ to C₁₀.

 

Keywords:  mass loading, microwave absorber, microwave-assisted pyrolysis, palm oil mill effluent

 

Abstrak

Dianggarkan lebih kurang 50 juta ton Sisa Buangan Kilang Kelapa Sawit (POME) dihasilkan setiap tahun. Pembuangan POME ke sumber air semulajadi seperti sungai akan menyebabkan impak negatif kepada alam sekitar. Penghasilan POME yang tinggi menyebabkan ianya mustahil untuk dilupuskan oleh syarikat pelupusan, oleh yang demikian, rawatan in-situ dibangunkan. Cara pelupusan terkini oleh industri kelapa sawit adalah melalui kaedah kolam bio-degradasi. Kaedah ini diaplikasikan berikutan kandungan air yang tinggi di dalam POME iaitu lebih kurang 90% daripada isi kandungannya. Oleh yang demikian, kaedah menambahbaik pirolisis bantuan gelombang mikro (MAP) digunakan dan sekaligus POME dapat dilupuskan dan menukar hasil yang bermanfaat seperti arang pepejal and minyak pirolisis. Di dalam kajian ini, kesan berat kandungan POME di dalam anggaran 100g ke 500g dengan penambahan karbon aktif diberi tumpuan. Kadar kekuatan gelombang mikro, masa radiasi dan nisbah pencampuran karbon aktif masing – masing dimalarkan pada kadar 1000W, 30 minit dan 5%. Penghasilan produk arang pepejal dan minyak pirolitik dianalisis untuk menentukan kadar terbaik penghasilannya. Arang pepejal yang terhasil mempunyai potensi sebagai sumber tenaga dan mempunyai kapasiti tenaga sekurang-kurangnya >20 MJ/kg dan mengandungi kandungan karbon >8%. Sementara itu, lebih kurang 20% kandungan bahan kimia di dalam minyak pirolitik terdiri daripada karbon nombor pada kadar C₁ to C₁₀.

 

Kata kunci:    beban jisim, penyerap ketuhar gelombang mikro, pirolisis bantuan gelombang mikro, air sisa kilang sawit

 

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