Effect of Microwave Irradiation on the Zeolite Properties Synthesized from Rice Husk Ash

Indonesia is an agricultural country with the main product was rice. The abundance of rice farming contributes to the amount of rice husks every year. Today, the rice husk has been widely used as a source of silica in the preparation of synthetic zeolite in many researches. In this work, increasing characteristics of synthetic zeolite from rice husk ash by microwave irradiated method is investigated. The prepared zeolite samples were characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) to determine crystallinity and zeolite components. In application, synthetic zeolite is used in improvement of waste cooking oil quality. Waste cooking oil quality was determined by peroxide value. Modification of zeolite by microwave irradiation fixed in 100 W and 180 W variable of power for 60 minute. Both treated and untreated sample formed high crystallinity based on the XRD traces that is above 90%. In this project, the wasted cooking oil sample is taken from the rest of the frying fish. Adsorption was carried out at 60 °C with constant stirring in each sample. The peroxide value was analyzed by iodometric method, directly. The initial peroxide value of waste cooking oil is 9 meq/kg, this value decreased since adsorption process by prepared zeolite. Among the adsorption processes, 180 W modified zeolite yield highest decrease of peroxide value i.e 2 meq/kg, follow by 100 W modified which is 5 meq/kg, and the least decrease was reached by unmodified zeolite adsorption i.e 6 meq/kg.