CELLULOSE FERMENTATION AND DISTILLATION OF LEAF

WASTE (Pterocarpus indicus) FOR BIOETHANOL PRODUCTION

Reyja Akbar Kertadiwangsa1), Arviandra Haryo Nariswara2), Aussie Rezali
Ramadhan Bawolje Junior3), Mochammad Alief Rahman4),
Science Program, SMA Negeri 16 Surabaya, Surabaya Indonesia
Email: sman16surabaya@yahoo.com

Abstract
This research aims to isolate cellulose from scattered leaf which is then fermented by Brewer’s yeast
(Saccharomyces cerevisiae). The fermentation will produce bioethanol which can be used as an alternative
energy. Bioethanol is a volatile liquid, flammable, colourless, and also one of the alcohols that is often used in
everyday life. This research is conducted from September-November 2022 in Senior High School 16 Surabaya
that includes stages of Cellulose Isolation are Prehydrolisis with HNO 3 4% and H2O2 15%, Delignification
stages with NaOH 2N, bleaching stages with H 2O2 15%, Fermentation with Brewer’s yeast for 30 days and
distillation horizontal rotary evaporator. Quantitative analysis shows that the result of fermented cellulose is
48% of bioethanol out of the 10 grams cellulose and 1ml of bioethanol distilled from the fermented cellulose.
From this research that we have done, we can conclude that scattered leaf can be recycled into something
useful. With the procedures that we have done, we can make bioethanol from leaf waste into an alternative
energy.

Keyword: Pterocarpus indicus, Bioethanol, Distillation

1. INTRODUCTION One of the uses of cellulose is as an ingredient

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are
global action plans agreed by world leaders,
including Indonesia, reducing protection, and
protecting the environment.[1] SDGs contain 17
Goals and expected to be achieved by 2030. SDGs
2030 number 7 relates to clean and affordable
energy, while number 11 deals with climate change.
One of the causes of climate change is the
excessive use of fossil fuels.
Petroleum is one source of energy that comes
from fossils of living things that have died and are
buried in the soil that cannot be renewed. Petroleum
is formed very long ago, about millions of years.
The continuous use of petroleum results in
environmental problems.[2] Indonesia is a country
that has abundant natural resources. Biodiversity in
Indonesia is very wide, one of which is the plant
diversity of the city where Surabaya is located.
Surabaya is one of the cities that has a lot of green
open space, 573 city parks, with a total park area of
around 1,651 hectares. The number of trees in
Surabaya can potentially lead to the accumulation
of leaf litter. Leaf waste in Surabaya is mostly
produced from Pterocarpus indicus trees. The
leaves of the plant contain cellulose which has
many benefits.
for making bioethanol.[3] Bioethanol can be made
through cellulose fermentation using
microorganisms,[4] based on this description, the
background for conducting research on the isolation
and fermentation of leaf waste cellulose
(Pterocarpus indicus) as a material for making
bioethanol. The use of such waste can be beneficial
for the harmony of nature and can reduce the use of
fossil fuels.
Our research this time is a continuation of our
previous research, entitled CELLULOSE
ISOLATION AND FERMENTATION OF LEAF
WASTE. (Pterocarpus indicus) FOR
BIOETHANOL PRODUCTION, this time we want
to make an extract from the isolation and
fermentation of leaf waste, which in the process we
examine is the distillation part of the extract. In the
distillation process in cellulose fermentation, what
needs to be found out are the influencing factors,
including the temperature of the distilled water, the
temperature of the steam, the rate of energy at the
time of condensation, the energy absorbed by the
absorbent plate, and the length of the test.
2. METHOD AND
EXPERIMENTAL DETAILS
This research is a quantitative analysis research.
The sample used is leaf waste Angsana
(Pterocarpus indicus) leaves in Senior High School
16 Surabaya. Quantitative analysis refers to Ethanol
fermented then purified by the distillation process
and distillation-adsorption then purified ethanol
The obtained characteristics were analyzed at
Senior High School 16 Surabaya. The literature
method is carried out based on a literature review
based on journals on the internet and books in the
library of SMA Negeri 16 Surabaya.
A. Tools and Material
The main ingredients used are Angsana
(Pterocarpus indicus) leaf powder and many other
secondary ingredients such as distilled water, spirit
(isopropyl alcohol), H2O2 15%, HNO3 4%, NaOH
2N, and brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces
cerevisiae). while the tools used are 1000ml beaker
glass, Bunsen burner, glass spatula, pH meter,
measuring cylinder, spoon, filtering paper, vials,
thermometer, tripod, Ohaus scale, iron wire gauze,
and horizontal rotary evaporator.
B. Cellulose Fermentation and Distillation
For the hydrolysis step, 90 grams of Angsana
leaf powder was hydrolyzed using 400ml HNO3
4% at 80°C for 2 hours. Then filtered and bleached
using 200 ml of 15% H2O2 at 80°C for 1 hour. Next,
the residue from the pre-hydrolysis was filtered
using filtering paper and then rinsed with distilled
water until theSteps
pH was neutral. The residue from
Picture
Angsana leaves
Powder before
experiment
the prehydrolysis process is then carried out to the
delignification process. The delignification process
uses 200 ml of 2N NaOH at 80°C for 1 hour.[5]
Then filtered using filtering paper. The result was
then rinsed with distilled water until the pH is
neutral and filtered again using filtering paper to
produce residue. The results in the delignification
process are then bleached. The bleaching process
uses 200 ml of 15% H2O2 at a temperature of 80°C
for 1 hour. After being bleached next rinsed with
distilled water until the pH was neutral. The pH
neutral product is then added with brewer’s yeast
(Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and then left for 30
days to ferment and kept from being exposed to
sunlight.[6] The fermented cellulose is then distilled
with a horizontal rotary evaporator to separate the
bioethanol from the cellulose fermentation. Thus,
resulting in the clear liquid called bioethanol.
C. Distillation or Evaporator
For distillation steps, we using a service in
University of Surabaya. We use horizontal rotary
evaporator to segregate between yield and pure
Bioethanol.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
A. Test Results
Color Texture
Brown Powder-like

After Pickle Rough

Prehydrolysis Green

After Orange Rough and

Delignification moist

After 1st bleaching Greyish Mushy and

White moist

After 2nd bleaching White Mushy and

moist

After Fermentation Grey Mushy

After Destilation Clear Liquid

 Graphic 1. Bioethanol sample FTIR test results

Table 2. Bioethanol Concentration Results

Table 3. Bioethanol FTIR Test Result through the -OH group. The peak of 1369,82 cm -1
Interpretation indicates bonding to cellulose. Based on the FTIR
Wave test, no peak was found in the range 1740-1720 cm-
Functional Group 1
which interpreted the aliphatic esters of lignin
number Range
Interpretation found in the leaf powder samples that still
(cm-1)
O-H Stretching contained lignin. This Indicates that the isolation
3337,63 3400-3200 process was successful. Lignocellulose is broken
Vibration
2901,89 3000-2850 Sp3 C-H Stretching down into lignin and cellulose due to the addition
1740-1720 C=O Stretching of NaOH solution. A success indicator of cellulose
isolation can be shown by the absence of peaks in
1635,00 1650-1630 OH (water)
the range of ±1200 cm-1 which indicates the
C=C aromatic
1600-1500 presence of C-O stretching vibration of cylindrical
aromatic ring
esters in lignin. The success of other cellulose
1369,82 1440-1000 C-O-H Bending insulation is indicated by the wave number 895.42
Around Asymetric C-O-C cm-1 that appears. The wave number indicates the
895,42
850 Stretching Vibration presence of asymmetric C-O-C stretching vibration.
[9]
The group is produced by β 1,4 glycoside bonds
that bind between monomers of cellulose and
B. Test Result hemicellulose.[10]
Based on the experimental results of cellulose 2. Bioethanol FTIR Test Evaluation
isolation of Angsana (Pterocarpus indicus) leaves
powder, the cellulose yield was obtained as much After the cellulose isolation process is finished, the
as 10 grams. The yield that has been fermented next step is fermentation with Brewer’s yeast
using Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains 48% (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). The cellulose is added
ethanol. The ethanol content is proven by the with yeast 1/3 the amount of the cellulose and air-
results of the FTIR test. tightly closed. The air-tight closed bioethanol
mixture is then left for 30 days and checked
Peak number 3337,63 cm-1 represents O-H regularly at the 3rd day, 7th day, 21st day. The result
stretching vibration. The peak of 2901,89 cm-1 of this fermentation is 10 grams of bioethanol
indicates Sp3 C-H stretching. The peak of 1635,00 (48%) with greyish white colour. The fermentation
cm-1 indicates the presence of water absorbed is then sent for FTIR testing to find the percentage
of the bioethanol. The fermented cellulose is then
distilled with a horizontal rotary evaporator which
is a modernized version of a distillation apparatus
to separate the cellulose fermentation from the pure
clear liquid bioethanol.
Angsana (Pterocarpus indicus) tree is a tree that
grows everywhere in our area so many leaves fall
and become organic waste scattered throughout the
city. Angsana leaf waste, like other leaves, contains
cellulose that can be utilized and can be reprocessed
into bioethanol using yeast. Bioethanol or ethanol is
a kind of volatile liquid, flammable, colourless, and
is the alcohol most often used in everyday life. [11]
Bioethanol is often used as a motor fuel or as an
additive in gasoline and is an option for more
"renewable" energy. In addition to fuel, bioethanol
can be used as a daily raw material. Bioethanol is
also known as ethyl alcohol or simply alcohol
4. CONCLUSION
Based on the research that has been done, it can
be said that the cellulose fermentation of
Pterocarpus indicus leaves can be processed into
bioethanol by certain procedures, are cellulose
isolation and cellulose fermentation. Cellulose
isolation was carried out through the stages of
prehydrolysis, delignification, and bleaching. The
isolated cellulose was then fermented using
Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Quantitative analysis
showed that the yield of cellulose produced was 10
grams and 1ml of bioethanol was distilled from the
fermented cellulose. Cellulose fermentation FTIR
test results showed the presence of 48% bioethanol
content.
5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The completion of this research could not have
been possible without the participation and
assistance of so many people, and that their
contribution are sincerely appreciated and
gratefully acknowledged. Anyhow, the group
would like to express its deep appreciation
indebtedness particularly to some. We thanks to
Mr. Nanda Tetuka for guiding us on how to use the
facilities around the science lab and registering our
FTIR test for our product; we thank Nadhifa Almira
for sharing her experiences about this particular
activity and teaching us her expertise; we thank
SMA Negeri 16 Surabaya for providing us the
facilities and materials needed for this research; we
thank the Surabaya State University for providing
the facility to distill our product.
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