Pembuatan Ethanol Fuel Grade dengan Metode Adsorbsi Menggunakan Adsorbent Granulated Natural Zeolite Dan Cao

Abstract

Bioethanol is one of renewable energy sources used complimentarily with gasoline and called gasohol. Bioethanol used in the mixture must have at least 99% concentration (fuel grade). One of the methods to get ethanol concentration over 99% is adsorbtion. The aim of this research is to obtain fuel grade bioethanol with the concentration up to 99% using adsorbtion method in a fixed bed column. The adsorbent used are granulated natural zeolite and granulated CaO powder. The research is also aimed to study the effect of adsorbent type and weight to the concentration of bioethanol produced. The materials used in this research are zeolite powder, CaO powder, alginate, aquadest, dan alcohol 70%wt. The adsorber column consists of 2 parts: adsorbent column (3,6cm) and outer column (3,8cm). The adsorbent column is filled with adsorbent which placed inside a basket to ease adsorbent input and removal. Granulated natural zeolite is made by mixing zeolite powder with alginate solution. After that, the mixture is dried in the oven and calcined in a maple furnace at 400°C. Granulated CaO powder is made in an almost identical way. Bioethanol in the storage tank (stockpot) is vaporized at ±80°C. The vapor flows through the fixed bed column packed with adsorbent, and at the output the vapor is condensed with a condenser. Liquid bioethanol from the effluent is stored and then analyzed using picnometer. The result of granulated natural zeolite adsorbent shows that the highest concentration obtained is 99,7193% with the adsorbent weight at 200 grams. For granulated CaO the concentration obtained is 99,6954% at 200 grams of adsorbent. From the research we can learn that the more adsorbent mass used, the higher concentration can be obtained. For the type of adsorbent, it is concluded that granulated natural zeolite is better than granulated CaO powder.