PEMBUATAN ZEOLIT PELET BERBASIS ZEOLIT ALAM DAN PATI TEPUNG BERAS SEBAGAI ADSORBEN PADA PEMBUATAN BIOETANOL FUEL GRADE

Bioethanol is one of the alternative energy that needs to be evaluated, both in terms of sources of raw materials, fermentation and purification processes. Technology is often used to get dry bioethanol is to use the process of adsorption with zeolite adsorbents based on natural zeolite pellets and starch (rice flour). The aim of this study was to determine the composition of natural zeolites and zeolite pellets starch (rice flour) to obtain the optimal adsorption power at the same time determine the concentration of ethanol to obtain a minimum of bioethanol fuel grade (more than 99% purity). The distillation process is done by heating the ethanol that has been diluted in accordance with the prescribed levels of 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% at a temperature of 250 0C for later purity analysis by comparing the density at bioethanol standard curve. The results obtained are higher levels of zeolite, the adsorption capacity of the zeolite pellets tend to be getting better, 80% zeolite composition is the most optimal used to produce distillate with 77.26% purity and the level of initial ethanol to obtain bioethanol fuel grade is minimal 90%.