Conversion of Cellulose from Palm Oil Middle Waste (Elaeis Guineensis) into Bio-oil Products As Alternative Fuel

Abstract

Oil palm midrib are very abundant waste, especially in the North Sumatra, Indonesia. Lignocellulose contained in oil palm midrib can be used as a source of alternative energy raw materials. The purpose of this research is to produce bio-oil that can reduce the use of fossil fuels. Natural zeolite (ZAS) as a catalyst was activated by mineral acid and calcination with nitrogen gas. Impregnation of Ni and Fe into ZAS followed by calcination and oxidation process to obtained Ni-Fe/ZAS catalyst. The conversion of oil palm midrib powder into cellulose was carried out by delignification process with NaOH and bleaching. Then, the conversion of bio-oil is carried out by pyrolysis using the HDO process. Based on the results of the catalyst characterization and activity test showed that the Ni-Fe/ZAS catalyst had good characteristics and activity. Bio-oil from fiber is dominated by lignin derivatives, meanwhile cellulose bio-oil is dominated by furan derivatives. Hydrodeoxygenation using a Ni-Fe/ZAS catalyst on fiber produced slightly different compounds from bio-oil in HDO without a catalyst, especially in the reduction percentage of phenol area from 52.91% to 39.58%. Meanwhile, in HDO bio-oil from cellulose, there was an increase in the percent area of phenol from 27.45% to 35.59%.