Regeneration of Spent Bleaching Earth by Calcination and Its Morphological Enhancement via KOH Impregnation

Ika Kusuma Nugraheni; Jaka Darma Jaya; Nuryati Nuryati; Sunardi Sunardi; Utami Irawati; Putri Iis Faiza; Dita Adi Saputra

doi:10.22146/ijc.99600

Regeneration of Spent Bleaching Earth by Calcination and Its Morphological Enhancement via KOH Impregnation

https://doi.org/10.22146/ijc.99600

Ika Kusuma Nugraheni^(1*), Jaka Darma Jaya⁽²⁾, Nuryati Nuryati⁽³⁾, Sunardi Sunardi⁽⁴⁾, Utami Irawati⁽⁵⁾, Putri Iis Faiza⁽⁶⁾, Dita Adi Saputra⁽⁷⁾

(1) Department of Agroindustry, Tanah Laut State Polytechnic, Jl. A. Yani Km. 6, Pelaihari, Tanah Laut 70815, Indonesia
(2) Department of Agroindustry, Tanah Laut State Polytechnic, Jl. A. Yani Km. 6, Pelaihari, Tanah Laut 70815, Indonesia
(3) Department of Agroindustry, Tanah Laut State Polytechnic, Jl. A. Yani Km. 6, Pelaihari, Tanah Laut 70815, Indonesia
(4) Department of Chemistry, Lambung Mangkurat University, Jl. A. Yani Km. 36, Banjarbaru 70713, Indonesia
(5) Department of Chemistry, Lambung Mangkurat University, Jl. A. Yani Km. 36, Banjarbaru 70713, Indonesia
(6) Department of Agroindustry, Tanah Laut State Polytechnic, Jl. A. Yani Km. 6, Pelaihari, Tanah Laut 70815, Indonesia
(7) Research Center for Fuel Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), KST BJ Habibie, Setu, Tangerang Selatan 15314, Indonesia
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract

Spent bleaching earth (SBE), a waste generated from palm oil bleaching, contains residual oil and organic matter that block its pore structure and pose environmental disposal concerns. Regeneration of SBE is therefore essential to enable its reutilization. In this study, SBE was regenerated by calcination and further modified via KOH impregnation at concentrations of 1.00, 0.10, and 0.01 M. The regenerated materials were characterized using XRF, SEM, TEM, XRD, and BET surface area analysis. Calcination combined with 0.10 M KOH impregnation increased the surface area from 8.70 to 93.81 m²/g, approaching the value of activated bleaching earth (94.29 m²/g), and significantly altered pore volume and pore size distribution. These findings indicate that calcination restores the basic structure of SBE, while subsequent KOH impregnation enhances its morphological properties, highlighting the potential of regenerated SBE as a low-cost adsorbent or catalyst support.

Keywords

SBE regeneration; KOH-impregnation; morphological characterization

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.22146/ijc.99600