Carbon Composite Derived from Spent Bleaching Earth for Rubbery Wastewater Treatment Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • The industrial production of palm oil generates substantial amounts of Spent Bleaching Earth (SBE), a waste byproduct from the bleaching process. In Malaysia and Indonesia, SBE is typically landfilled, causing environmental risks such as greenhouse gas emissions and contamination. Wastewater from the rubber industry also contains harmful pollutants that require effective treatment. This study proposes a sustainable solution by converting SBE into carbon composites (CCs) for treating rubber industry wastewater. Characterization of CCs using XRD, BET, FESEM, and FTIR revealed its porous structure, high surface area, and functional groups, contributing to excellent adsorption properties. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) optimized treatment conditions, determining 90.56 min of contact time and 0.75 g of adsorbent weight as optimal for maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) and turbidity removal. Quadratic models showed R2 values of 0.8828 for COD removal and 0.8336 for turbidity reduction, with numerical optimization achieving 90.30% COD reduction and 49.02% turbidity removal. Verification experiments confirmed model reliability with minimal deviation (0.37%). These findings demonstrate the potential of SBE-derived CCs as an eco-friendly solution for environmental challenges in the palm oil and rubber industries.

authors

  • Tamin, Nur Fatihah Binti
  • Yeong, Yin Fong
  • Agustian, Joni
  • Hermida, Lilis
  • Liew, Lih Xuan

publication date

  • 2025

start page

  • 126

volume

  • 9

issue

  • 3