Synthesis and Identification of Furfural from Cocoa Pod Husk (CPH) with Pretreatment Process before Hydrolysis Process

Furfural is an organic compound that can be produced from agricultural waste such as oats, corn cobs, rice husks, bagasse, and sawdust. Cocoa pod husk is a renewable raw material for furfural manufacturing. Furfural synthesis from cocoa pod husk is an attempt to create value-added of cocoa pod husk. Furfural synthesis was based on the hydrolysis of pentosan into xylose which was then dehydrated to furfural. Cocoa pod husk waste contains pectin and lignin which can interfere hydolysis process. It make use pretreatment process to reduce pectin and lignin. Percentages pectin, lignin and pentosan before pretreatment were 9.2 ± 0.5, 14.7% and 38.9% and after pretreatment to be 1.7 ± 0.01, 4.13% and 37.5%. In this study used hydrolysis temperature variations (110, 120, 130 and 140) 0C and hydrolysis time (10, 20, 30, 40 and 50) minutes. The optimum conditions obtained at temperature and time of hydrolysis of 1300C and 30 minutes, weight furfural obtained was 6.728 g/7,50g pentosan or 6,728g/20g of cocoa pod husk and yield furfural obtained was 82.2%. This shows that cocoa pod husk has a high potential to be converted into furfural and can be used as a renewable raw material in furfural manufacturing. Furfural identified by color test using aniline acetate 1:1, Gas Cromatographic Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) and infraspectrophotometer (FTIR).