Reaktor
Volume 26 No.2 August 2026

Garlic Peel Waste as an Eco-Friendly Biosorbent for Used Cooking Oil Regeneration: Adsorption Efficiency and Mechanistic Evaluation

Iqbal Kamar (Department Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Malikussaleh, Center of Excellence Technology Natural Polymer and Recycle Plastics, Malikussaleh University,)
Sujaka Retno (Department Informatics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Malikussaleh, Lhokseumawe, Indonesia)
Wiza Ulfa Fibarzi (Department Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Malikussaleh, Center of Excellence Technology Natural Polymer and Recycle Plastics, Malikussaleh University,)
Faisal Faisal (Department Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Malikussaleh,)
Putri Savira (Graduated at Department Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Malikussaleh)
Sri Mei Rifkaliani Ritonga (Graduated at Department Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Malikussaleh)



Article Info

Publish Date
14 Aug 2026

Abstract

This study explores the valorization of garlic peel waste as a sustainable biosorbent for the purification of used cooking oil through removal of free fatty acids (FFA) and other oxidation-related undesirable byproducts. Garlic peel adsorbent was prepared in both unactivated and chemically activated forms using hydrochloric acid (HCl) to enhance its adsorption performance. The effects of adsorbent mass and contact time on the adsorption process was systematically evaluated, while adsorption behavior and mechanisms were analyzed using isotherm, kinetic, and surface morphology approaches. The activated garlic peel exhibited superior adsorption performance, achieving a 76.74% reduction in FFA content under optimum conditions, using 24 g adsorbent/100 mL sample within 45 min. Adsorption equilibrium was best represented by the Langmuir isotherm model, suggesting monolayer adsorption on homogeneous active sites, whereas pseudo-second-order kinetics indicates that chemisorption dominates the adsorption process. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis confirmed that chemical activation enhances surface roughness, pore formation, and the availability of active adsorption sites, thereby improving adsorption efficiency. In addition to reducing FFA levels, the adsorbent contributes to lowering peroxide value and acid number, indicating a broader improvement in oil quality. These findings demonstrate that garlic peel waste possesses strong potential as a low-cost, environmentally benign, and renewable biosorbent for cooking oil regeneration. The study provides an alternative strategy for agricultural waste valorization while supporting sustainable and household-scale oil purification technologies. 

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Journal Info

Abbrev

reaktor

Publisher

Subject

Chemical Engineering, Chemistry & Bioengineering Control & Systems Engineering Energy Materials Science & Nanotechnology

Description

Reaktor invites contributions of original and novel fundamental research. Reaktor publishes scientific study/ research papers, industrial problem solving related to Chemical Engineering field as well as review papers. The journal presents paper dealing with the topic related to Chemical Engineering ...