Penerapan Konsep Circular Economy melalui Recovery Cairan Fermentasi dan Analisis Neraca Massa pada Produksi Fermented Sour Flour dari Cellulose Dust

Abstract

Cellulose dust merupakan hasil samping pengolahan tepung porang yang telah dimanfaatkan sebagai bahan baku produksi fermented sour flour (FSF). Namun, proses tersebut masih menghasilkan cairan fermentasi yang mengandung padatan tersuspensi dan padatan terlarut sehingga sebagian material bernilai belum termanfaatkan secara optimal. Penelitian ini bertujuan merancang proses recovery cairan fermentasi, menganalisis distribusi massa melalui penyusunan neraca massa, serta mengevaluasi penerapan konsep circular economy pada proses produksi fermented sour flour. Penelitian dilakukan menggunakan pendekatan desain keteknikan yang meliputi tahap eksplorasi, pendefinisian masalah, ideasi, pengembangan prototipe, dan validasi. Proses recovery dikembangkan melalui dua alternatif, yaitu penyaringan menggunakan kain saring 100 mesh untuk memperoleh fermented sour flour 2 (FSF 2) serta presipitasi etanol untuk memperoleh glukomanan dari fraksi cair. Neraca massa keseluruhan, neraca massa air, dan neraca massa padatan disusun untuk mengevaluasi distribusi material dan mengidentifikasi potensi material yang masih dapat dipulihkan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa proses produksi FSF menghasilkan cairan fermentasi yang masih mengandung 399,5 g total suspended solids (TSS) dan 282,3 g total dissolved solids (TDS) sehingga berpotensi dimanfaatkan kembali. Recovery melalui penyaringan 100 mesh menghasilkan FSF 2 dengan rendemen sebesar 14,9% (basis kering), sehingga meningkatkan rendemen total FSF menjadi 63,7% (basis kering), sedangkan recovery melalui presipitasi etanol menghasilkan glukomanan dengan rendemen sekitar 3,6% (basis kering) dan kadar glukomanan 18,6%. Analisis neraca massa berhasil mengidentifikasi distribusi massa pada setiap unit operasi, lokasi kehilangan material, serta aliran proses yang masih memiliki potensi pemulihan. Penerapan konsep circular economy melalui recovery cairan fermentasi meningkatkan efisiensi pemanfaatan bahan baku, mengurangi kehilangan material, menghasilkan produk bernilai tambah, dan mendukung pengelolaan hasil samping yang lebih berkelanjutan.

Cellulose dust is a by-product of porang flour processing which has been used as a raw material for the production of fermented sour flour (FSF). However, the process still produces fermented liquids that contain suspended solids and dissolved solids so that some valuable materials have not been utilized optimally. This research aims to design the fermented liquid recovery process, analyze the mass distribution through the preparation of the mass balance, and evaluate the application of the circular economy concept in the fermented sour flour production process. The research was conducted using an engineering design approach which includes the exploration stage, problem definition, ideation, prototype development, and validation. The recovery process was developed through two alternatives, namely filtration using a 100 mesh filter cloth to obtain fermented sour flour 2 (FSF 2) and ethanol precipitation to obtain glucomannan from liquid fractions. The overall mass balance, water mass balance, and solid mass balance are compiled to evaluate the material distribution and identify the potential of the material that can still be recovered. The results of the study show that the FSF production process produces fermented liquids that still contain 399.5 g of total suspended solids (TSS) and 282.3 g of total dissolved solids (TDS) so that it has the potential to be reused. Recovery through 100 mesh filtration produced FSF 2 with a yield of 14.9% (dry base), thus increasing the total FSF yield to 63.7% (dry base), while recovery through ethanol precipitation produced glucomannan with a yield of about 3.6% (dry base) and glucomannan content of 18.6%. The mass balance analysis successfully identified the mass distribution in each operating unit, the location of material loss, and the process flow that still has potential for recovery. The application of the circular economy concept through fermentation liquid recovery increases the efficiency of raw material utilization, reduces material loss, produces value-added products, and supports more sustainable management of by-products.