Mitigation of struvite formation in palm oil mill effluent (POME) treatment facilities
Struvite formation or generally known as scaling in palm oil mill effluent ( POME) treatment system has long been identified to cause adverse impact on the efficiency of the POME treatment process. Its occurrence has become more common in recent years with the increase of nationwide palm oil mill...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Conference or Workshop Item |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2018
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/69963/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/69963/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/69963/1/69963_Mitigation%20of%20struvite%20formation%20in%20palm%20oil%20mill%20effluent%20%28POME%29.pdf |
| Summary: | Struvite formation or generally known as scaling in palm oil mill effluent ( POME) treatment
system has long been identified to cause adverse impact on the efficiency of the POME
treatment process. Its occurrence has become more common in recent years with the increase
of nationwide palm oil milling capacity. This study determines the characteristic of struvite
sample from a typical POME treatment facility and examines the influence of pH and
temperature on these struvite samples. Struvite samples were collected from a piping set up of a
POME treatment facility in a 50 tph palm oil mill. X-ray diffraction ( XRD) , energy dispersive
spectroscopy ( EDS) and solubility analysis were carried out on the sample. Composition of
phosphorous element was found at 22. 8% . Other elements were magnesium ( Mg) , 20. 4% ,
carbon (C), 2.3%, hydrogen (H) 3.5% and nitrogen (N), 2.0%. Maximum solubility of 270.4 mg/L
was achieved at pH of 3 and temperature of 40oC while minimum solubility of 122.1 mg/ L was
recorded at pH 7 and temperature of 25oC. The study concludes that although struvite is
currently a problem in palm oil mill, it possesses a significant economic benefit as an alternative
source of valuable fertilizer material that can be further exploited. |
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