Pengaruh Suhu Sintering pada Sintesis Komposit Forsterit-Karbon dalam Medium Gas Inert

Forsterit merupakan salah satu mineral refraktori dengan rumus kimia Mg 2 SiO 4 yang dapat dimanfaatkan sebagai komponen material tahan panas. Komposit forsterit-karbon merupakan salah satu material modifikasi dari forsterit yang berpotensi memiliki sifat isolator panas baik. Karbon dalam komposit dapat mengisi cacat titik pada kristal forsterit. Arang sekam padi yang diperoleh dari pembakaran tidak sempurna sekam padi mengandung SiO 2 amorf dan karbon yang tinggi. Penelitian ini bertujuan menentukan pengaruh suhu dan rasio mol Mg/Si pada kalsinasi dalam medium gas inert (dengan pengaliran gas argon) terhadap karakteristik komposit forsterit-karbon dari arang sekam padi dan magnesium karbonat yang dihasilkan. Metode penelitian meliputi preparasi arang sekam padi dengan gasifikasi, dan sintesis forsterit-karbon dengan variasi suhu (700, 800, 900, dan 1000 o C) pada rasio mol Mg/Si sebesar 2:1. Selanjutnya sampel hasil sintesis dikarakterisasi dengan FTIR, XRD, dan SEM. Berdasarkan hasil karakteriasi diperoleh kesimpulan bahwa semakin tinggi suhu kalsinasi, semakin terbentuk struktur forsterit-karbon. Effect of Calcination Temperature on Synthesis of Forsterite-Carbon Composites in Inert Gas Medium. Forsterite-carbon composite is one of the material modifications of forsterite which potentially has a good heat insulation property. Carbon in composites can fill point defects in forsterite crystals. Rice husk charcoal, as gasification residues, contains high amorphous SiO 2 and carbon. This study aims to determine the effect of temperature on the calcination of a mixture of rice husk charcoal and magnesium carbonate under an inert gas (argon gas) on the characteristics of the forsterite-carbon composite produced. The experimental research performed includes the preparation of gasified rice husk charcoal and the synthesis of the carbon-forsterite composite. The synthesis process of the carbon-forsterite composites was carried out by mixing rice husk charcoal with potassium carbonate at a mole ratio of magnesium to silicon of 2: 1. The mixture was then calcined with varying temperatures (700, 800, 900, and 1000 °C). Furthermore, the synthesized sample was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dan scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The FTIR and XRD analysis reveal that the forsterites began to form at a calcination temperature of 800 °C and perfectly formed at a temperature of 1000 °C, therefore the composite formed at 1000 °C is possible as forsterite-carbon, in which the contained elements were indicated by SEM-EDS.