Kinetic Modeling of Biomethane Production from Cassava Peel Waste: Impact of Silica Gel as an Adsorbent

Maya Sarah; Sunarti Abdul Rahman; Eva Malini Simare-mare; Isti Madinah; Fatimah Fatimah; Farida Hanum; Rivaldi Sidabutar; Ashwin Charles Benedict; Malyanah Mohd. Taib

doi:10.22146/ijc.111203

Kinetic Modeling of Biomethane Production from Cassava Peel Waste: Impact of Silica Gel as an Adsorbent

https://doi.org/10.22146/ijc.111203

Maya Sarah^(1*), Sunarti Abdul Rahman⁽²⁾, Eva Malini Simare-mare⁽³⁾, Isti Madinah⁽⁴⁾, Fatimah Fatimah⁽⁵⁾, Farida Hanum⁽⁶⁾, Rivaldi Sidabutar⁽⁷⁾, Ashwin Charles Benedict⁽⁸⁾, Malyanah Mohd. Taib⁽⁹⁾

(1) Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Almamater, Medan 20155, Indonesia
(2) Chemical Engineering Program, Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, Lbh Persiaran Tun Khalil Yaakob, Kuantan 26300, Pahang, Malaysia
(3) Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Almamater, Medan 20155, Indonesia
(4) Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Almamater, Medan 20155, Indonesia
(5) Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Almamater, Medan 20155, Indonesia
(6) Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Almamater, Medan 20155, Indonesia
(7) Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Almamater, Medan 20155, Indonesia
(8) Chemical Engineering Program, Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, Lbh Persiaran Tun Khalil Yaakob, Kuantan 26300, Pahang, Malaysia
(9) Chemical Engineering Program, Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, Lbh Persiaran Tun Khalil Yaakob, Kuantan 26300, Pahang, Malaysia
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract

This study investigates the role of silica gel as an adsorbent in enhancing biomethane generation during anaerobic digestion of cassava peel waste. Cassava peel, a carbohydrate-rich agricultural byproduct, is widely available but often discarded, creating environmental concerns. Although suitable for biogas production, the methane fraction is often reduced by the presence of CO₂ and moisture. In this work, laboratory-scale fixed-bed bioreactors were operated at different inoculum-to-water ratios (100:0, 70:30, 60:40, and 50:50 v/v) with and without silica gel. The digestion process was monitored for 22 days by measuring total suspended solids (TSS), pH, and cumulative biomethane production. Silica gel was placed in the reactor headspace to adsorb CO₂ and water vapor, resulting in a gradual decrease in TSS, indicating organic matter degradation, while pH remained within the optimal range for methanogenesis. Biomethane production varied with the inoculum ratio, and silica gel accelerated the attainment of peak yield at the 100:0 ratio. Kinetic analysis showed that the modified Gompertz model best described the experimental data. These results demonstrate the potential of silica gel as a cost-effective adsorbent to improve biomethane quality and enhance the efficiency of small-scale anaerobic digestion systems.

Keywords

adsorbent; anaerobic digestion; cassava peel; silica gel; biomethane; kinetic modeling

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.22146/ijc.111203