Structural analysis of silica extract from banana stems via acid leaching under different reaction time

Abstract

Production of silica from agricultural waste such as banana stems are mainly synthesized from acid leaching treatment. Citric acid (C6H8O7) was used as substitute for conventional hydrochloric acid (HCL) and sulphuric acid (H2SO4) because it is safer and less harmful to the human health. The main parameters in leaching treatment are leaching time and acid concentration. The acid concentration used was 1.0 mol/L of citric acid (C6H8O7) and leaching time of 30, 60 and 90 minutes, respectively. The leaching treatment produced 47.8% to 99.9% of extracted silica. The samples of extracted silica were characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).