Pembuatan, pencirian, dan uji daya adsorpsi arang aktif dari kayu meranti merah (Shorea Sp.)

Abstract

Kayu meranti merah (Shorea sp.) banyak digunakan sebagai bahan baku furnitur dan bahan bangunan sehingga menghasilkan banyak limbah kayu. Dalam penelitian ini, limbah kayu tersebut dimanfaatkan untuk membuat arang aktif sehingga memiliki nilai guna. Arang aktif yang dihasilkan diuji sebagai adsorben pada pengolahan limbah logam kromium dan mangan dari industri. Pengaktifan arang dilakukan dengan 3 faktor, yaitu bahan kimia pengaktif, steam uap air, dan waktu aktivasi. Sebagai indikator kualitas arang aktif digunakan Standar Nasional Indonesia (SNI 06-3730-1995). Dilakukan juga penentuan luas permukaan spesifik dan pola struktur arang aktif. Arang aktif komersial digunakan sebagai pembanding. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa arang aktif terbaik berdasarkan daya jerap iodin dan baku mutu SNI adalah arang yang diaktivasi menggunakan steam uap air selama 90 menit tanpa bahan kimia pengaktif (HCl 5%). Arang aktif terbaik mampu menurunkan logam kromium dan mangan berturut-turut sampai 58.11 dan 5.85%. Mekanisme adsorpsi mengikuti isoterm Freundlich, dan dosis yang diperoleh dari persamaan isoterm tersebut dapat menurunkan konsentrasi kromium sampai 99.99% dari limbah industri.

Wood of red meranti (Shorea sp.) is utilized widely as furniture and construction material and produces plenty of wood waste. In this research, the wood waste was used as activated charcoal raw material to improve its utility. The activated charcoal produced was tested as absorbent in industrial chromium and manganese metal waste processing. Carbon activation was relied on 3 factors, namely activator chemicals, water vapour steam, and activation time. As the quality indicators of activated carbon Indonesian National Standard (SNI 06- 3730-1995) was used. The specific surface area and structure pattern of activated carbon were also determined. Commercial activated carbon was also studied as reference. The results showed that the best activated carbon based on iodine adsorption activity and SNI’s standard quality was carbon activated with water vapour steam for 90 minutes without activator chemicals (HCl 5%). The best activated carbon was capable to reduce chromium and manganese concentration up to 58.11 and 5.85%, respectively. The adsorption mechanism followed Freundlich isotherm, and the dosage obtained from the isotherm equation could reduce 99.99% of chromium concentration from industrial waste.