Pembuatan dan karakterisasi Keramik Berpori dari Abu Vulkanik Gunung Kelud dengan Aditif Karbon Aktif sebagai Filter Gas Buang Kendaraan Bermotor

ABSTRAK

Polusi udara merupakan salah satu permasalahan lingkungan yang saat ini sering melanda banyak kota di Indonesia. Polusi udara semakin memperburuk kualitas udara dan semakin membahayakan kesehatan manusia. Salah satu faktor penyebab udara tercemar berasal dari gas buang dari kendaraan bermotor, yang meghasilkan gas CO, CO2, dan HC secara berlebihan. Keramik berpori digunakan sebagai filter gas buang, karena keramik bersifat kuat, stabil, tahan suhu tinggi, tahan abrasi/korosi dan mudah dibersihkan.

Keramik berpori dibuat dengan menggunakan bahan dasar abu vulkanik Gunung Kelud dan bahan aditif karbon aktif komersial dengan komposisi 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30% (dalam % massa). Abu vulkanik dan karbon aktif secara terpisah dihaluskan dengan menggunakan blender, kemudian diayak menggunakan ayakan ukuran 200 mesh. Abu vulkanik diaktivasi fisis dengan cara dipanaskan di dalam oven pada suhu 200oC selama 1 jam. Abu vulkanik, karbon aktif dan aquades diaduk selama 1 jam menggunakan mixer, kemudian dicetak dan dikeringkan selama 7 hari di ruang bebas. Sampel keramik dibakar menggunakan furnace pada suhu 1000oC dan ditahan selama 2 jam. Keramik berpori dari abu vulkanik Gunung Kelud dan aditif karbon aktif diuji sifat fisis berupa susut massa, susut volum, porositas, densitas, kuat tekan, dan diuji penyerapan pada gas buang kendaraan bermotor.

Pengujian kandungan unsur abu vulkanik Gunung Kelud menggunakan XRF menunjukkan bahwa unsur Si yang dominan dan dibutuhkan pada pembuatan keramik yaitu 31,4%. Keramik berpori dengan komposisi aditif karbon aktif 0%-30% dihasilkan nilai susut massa antara 1,9247%-31,0815%, nilai susut volume antara 3.29%-37.15%, nilai porositas antara 15.35%-71.11%, nilai densitas antara 0,96%-2,54% dan nilai kuat tekan antara 2,39 kg/cm2-363,49 kg/cm2. Pengamatan hasil uji mikrostruktur menggunakan SEM didapatkan nilai rata-rata ukuran pori-pori sampel antara 4,6363μm-10,4762 µm. Keramik berpori ini mampu menyerap gas buang CO antara 6,961%–35,965%; CO2 antara 0,65–18,56%, dan HC antara 1,74–28,69%. Keramik berpori dengan komposisi aditif karbon aktif 25% mampu menyerap gas buang kendaraan bermotor paling baik.

ABSTRACT

Air pollution is one of the environmental problems that are currently often plagued many cities in Indonesia. Air pollution worsens the air quality and increasingly endangers human health. One of the factors causing polluted air comes from the exhaust gases from motor vehicles which produce gas CO, CO2, and HC excessively. Porous ceramic is used as a exhaust gas filter, because ceramics are strong, stable, high temperature resistant, abrasion resistant / corrosion and easy to clean.

Porous ceramic was made using basic ingredients of volcanic ash Kelud and commercial activated carbon additive with the composition of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30% (in % of mass). Volcanic ash and active carbon were smoothed separately by using a blender, then they were sieved using a 200 mesh sieve size. Volcanic ash was activated physically by heating in an oven at 200oC for 1 hour. Volcanic ash, activated carbon and distilled water were stirred for 1 hour using a mixer, then it was formed in a mold and was dried for 7 days in free space. Ceramic sample was burned using the furnace at a temperature of 1000oC and was held for 2 hours. Porous ceramic Kelud of volcanic ash and activated carbon additives were tested physical properties such as mass shrinkage, volume shrinkage, porosity, density, compressive strength, and absorption test on motor vehicle exhaust.

Testing element content of volcanic ash Kelud using XRF is showed that Si is the dominant element and it is required in the manufacture of ceramics that is 31.4%. Porous ceramic with activated carbon additive composition of 0%-30% is resulted mass shrinkage values between 1.9247%-31.0815%, volume shrinkage values between 3.29%-37.15%, porosity values between 15.35%-71.11%, density values between 0.96%-2.54% and the compressive strength between 2.39 kg/cm2 -363.49 kg/cm2. Observation of the microstructure of test results using the SEM is obtained average value of the pore size of samples between 4,6363 μm - 10.4762 μm. This porous ceramic can absorb CO exhaust gas between 6.961% - 35.965%; CO2 between 0.65 % - 18.56%, and HC between 1.74%-28.69%. Porous ceramic with activated carbon additive composition of 25% can absorb motor vehicle exhaust which is the best.