Reduction of Peroxide Number in Crude Palm Oil (CPO) Using Rubber Fruit Shell (Heveabra silliensis) as Bio-sorbent

The object of this study was to discover the effectiveness of the shell of rubber fruit as bio sorbent for removing peroxide number in CPO (Crude Palm Oil) and heavy metals (Cu, Ni) contained in Metal Coating Industry’s wastewater. Methods used were pretreatment, activation (carbonating and chemically) and adsorption process at room temperature. In the beginning, the shell of rubber fruit was cleaned and dried under the sun. Then the shell was cut for about 0.5 cm of length and carbonated in a furnace for 1h at 500oC, 550oC, 600oC, and 650oC. After that, they were crushed to pass through 140 meshes and activated using 6N of HNO3, 6N of H3PO4 and 6N of KOH at certain ratio as 1:3, 1:4, and 1:5 (m/v). The adsorption process was carried out using bio sorbent with the highest iodine number in varying bio sorbent dosage and contact time. The highest iodine number was 913.680 mg/g and obtained at the ratio of bio sorbent to 6N of KOH as 1:5. The best reduction of peroxide number was 83.86% at 0.5% bio sorbent dose and 40 min of contact time.