AJARCDE (Asian Journal of Applied Research for Community Development and Empowerment)
Vol. 10 No. 3 (2026)

Adsorption of Sulfate Ions (SO42-) from Distillery Spent Wash Using Biochar Derived from Digestate Biogas

Novia Nadzifah (Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur University, Surabaya, Indonesia)
Shabrina Nur Mutia M (Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur University, Surabaya, Indonesia)
Ketut Sumada (Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur University, Surabaya, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
06 Jul 2026

Abstract

Sulfate (SO?²?) is a major inorganic pollutant in distillation washwater with concentrations of 4,000–6,000 mg/L and the potential to form H?S during anaerobic processes. This study investigated sulfate removal using biochar derived from biogas digestate. The biochar was produced by carbonization at 600 °C for 1.5 h and applied as an adsorbent with masses of 1–3 g and contact times of 20–100 min. BET, SEM-EDX, and FTIR analyses showed that the biochar had a mesoporous structure with a surface area of 140 m²/g, pore volume of 0.155 cm³/g, pore diameter of 4.43 nm, mineral content of Ca, K, and Mg, and active functional groups. Adsorption efficiency increased until reaching an optimum at 2 g adsorbent and 60 min contact time with an efficiency of 88.7605%, then decreased due to adsorption equilibrium and ion competition. Isotherm analysis indicated that the adsorption process followed the Langmuir model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 232.558 mg SO?²?/g, indicating monolayer adsorption on a homogeneous surface. Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):SDG 6: Clean Water and SanitationSDG 7: Affordable and Clean EnergySDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

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Journal Info

Abbrev

ajarcde

Publisher

Subject

Agriculture, Biological Sciences & Forestry Earth & Planetary Sciences Education Energy Environmental Science

Description

AJARCDE (Asian Journal of Applied Research for Community Development and Empowerment) publishes papers on innovative applications, development of new technologies, and efficient solutions in agriculture, engineering, computing, economic, social, information technology, food, energy, and scientific ...