Project Proposal
Project Proposal
PREPARED BY ID NUMBER
Table of Contents
Executive summery/ Abstract.......................................................................................................................i
List of figure...............................................................................................................................................iii
List of table.................................................................................................................................................iii
1. INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Background.......................................................................................................................................1
1.2. Statement of the Problem..................................................................................................................2
1.3. Objectives of Research.....................................................................................................................2
1.3.1. General objectives.....................................................................................................................2
1.3.2. Specific objectives.....................................................................................................................2
1.4. Significance/Implications.................................................................................................................2
2. LITERATURE REVIEW........................................................................................................................4
2.1. Brief history of the domestication of Banana....................................................................................4
2.1.1. Different stages of maturation....................................................................................................4
2.2. Banana production in Ethiopia..........................................................................................................5
2.3 Composition of Banana.....................................................................................................................5
2.4 Banana peel.......................................................................................................................................6
2.5 Potassium Carbonate.........................................................................................................................6
2.6 Application Areas of Potassium Carbonate.......................................................................................8
2.7 Physical and Chemical Properties of Potassium Carbonate.............................................................10
2.7.1. Physical property.....................................................................................................................10
2.7.2 Chemical property....................................................................................................................10
3. MATERIALS AND METHODS...........................................................................................................11
3.1. Raw material collection, transportation and storage.......................................................................11
3.2 chemical and equipment..................................................................................................................11
3.3. Methodology...................................................................................................................................13
3.3.1. Production process...................................................................................................................13
4. WORK PLAN REPRESENTATION....................................................................................................15
5. BUDGET BREAK DOWN...................................................................................................................16
Bibliography...............................................................................................................................................17
List of figure
Figure 1:Flow chart of manufacturing process............................................................................................8
List of table
Table 1: physical property.........................................................................................................................10
Table 2: Chemical properties of potassium carbonate...............................................................................10
Table 3: Schedule for work plan................................................................................................................15
Table 4: Budget scheduling plan...............................................................................................................16
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Bananas and plantains have been said to be the 4thlargest fruit crop of the world. The world
production is estimated to be 139 million tons, in which tropical Africa alone produces about 17
million tons of bananas annually. It has become a basic food crop for over 70 million people in
Africa. Over 50 species of Musa are in existence, in which the main group of edible bananas or
plantains is derived from Musa acuminate and Musa balbisiana. Potash has gained a world-wide
domestic and commercial use in the flat glass, chemical, pulp and paper sectors. (Onyegbado
CO, Iyagba ET, Offor OJ, 2002)It is also used for production of local soap, and traditionally used
as a cleansing agent. The simplicity of potash chemistry and the easily available local and
improved potash production technology, have lent the ash-derived potash a promising future as a
sustainable source of raw material for potash-based industries. (Babayemi JO, Adewuyi GO,
Dauda KT, Kayode AAA, 2011) Potassium carbonate is one of the most important inorganic
compounds used in industry even though it is as old as recorded history. Potash yield depends on
the type of plant material, the nature of soil where the plants grow and the efficiency of
extraction technology used, recorded 56.73±0.16% for cocoa pod, 43.15±0.13% for palm bunch,
16.65±0.05% for groundnut shell and 12.40±0.08% for sorghum chaff. Record 40 to 60% for
cocoa pod and, 2.77 to 26.88% for various African wood species (Taiwo, O.E. and F.A.O.
Osinowo,, 2001) .The potash content in the peels of some varieties of plantain and banana as
reported by ranged from 69.0 to 81.9% (of ash) and 4.7 to 9.6% (of dry peel). Beech wood ash
yields 20.69% potash. Some of alternate nomenclature that may be-used includes: PC, carbonate
of potash, pearl ash and carbonic acid, di-potassium salt and potcarb. In everyday chemical
technology, the choice between potassium and sodium carbonate is decided on K2CO3 the
economics or some desired physical / chemical property. As the fruits of the banana trees are
consumed at green, average ripe and ripe stages the amount of fruit waste from the peels is
expected to increase with the development of processing industries that utilize the green and ripe
banana. Like its pulp flour counterpart, banana peel flour can potentially offer new products with
standardized composition for various industrial and domestic uses. The peel of banana represents
about 40% of the total weight of fresh banana and has been underutilized. Various studies have
been conducted to investigate banana peel, including the production of banana peel flour, the
effects of ripeness stage on the dietary fiber components and pectin of banana peels and the
chemical composition of banana peel, as influenced by the maturation stage and varieties of
banana.
1.4. Significance/Implications
The significance of this project is to investigate the possibility of using and transforming banana
peel waste to valuable product, namely potassium carbonate (K2CO3) White, water-soluble, De-
liquescent powder, and insoluble in alcohol; used in brewing, ceramics, explosives, fertilizers,
and it is used as a chemical intermediate.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Brief history of the domestication of Banana
The banana is an edible fruit, botanically a berry, produced by several kinds of large herbaceous,
flowering plants in the Genus Musa. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called
plantains. The fruit is variable in size, color, and firmness, but is usually elongated and curved,
with soft flesh rich in starch covered with a rind which may be green, yellow, red, purple, or
brown when ripe. The fruits grow in clusters hanging from the top of the plant. Almost all
modern edible parthenocarpic (seedless) bananas come from two wild species –Musa acuminata
and Musa balbisiana. The scientific names of most cultivated bananas are Musa acuminata, Musa
balbisiana, and Musa × paradisiacal for the hybrid Musaacuminata × M. balbisiana, depending
on their genomic constitution. The old scientific name Musa sapientum is no longer used.
The term "banana" is also used as the common name for the plants which produce the fruit. This
can extend to other members of the genus Musalike the scarlet banana (Musa coccinea), pink
banana (Musa velutina) and the Fe'i bananas. It can also refer to members of the genus Ensete,
like the snow banana (Enseteglaucum) and the economically important false banana
(Enseteventricosum). Both genera are classified under the banana family, Musaceae. (Kevin,
2003)
According to the desired use, banana and plantain are consumed or locally processed at various
stages of maturation which have been classified from stage 1, green skin, to stage 7, yellow skin
with black spots. (al. E. , 2010)
Mature green banana especially plantain is very rich in starch and is one of the promising
substitutes for the starch industry. (al. E. , 2010)
Ripening determines the essential appearance and taste qualities of dessert bananas when
consumed fresh with bright yellow-colored skin, flavors, consistency of pulp and starch-sugar
transition. Ethylene is used as a catalyst for triggering a climacteric change. The fruit is then
delivered for consumption. The ripening classification defines 7 stages by color index. At stages
1 to 3, banana is not usually eaten like fruit because it is green, very hard, astringent and rich in
starch. At stage 7, banana is overripe and muddy. (al. E. , 2010)
Besides that, banana peels have absorbent potentiality. (Foy, J.M., Parratt, J.R, (1960)) It is very
useful for purification and refining processes. Banana peel has absorption capabilities for some
elements and ions in liquid or solution. (Moller, M., Kayma, M., Vieluf, D., Paschke, A.,
Steinhart, H. (, 1998)) Banana peel has absorption capacities to remove chromium from
wastewater, copper, and also some dyes.
Unfortunately, the benefits of banana peels are not popular as many people still do not realize
about. (Sanchez-Monge, R., Blanco, D., Collada, C., Aragoncillo, S., (1999).)Banana peels are
readily available, low cost, and environment friendly bio-material. These agricultural wastes are
also inexhaustible, cheap and non-hazardous, and are specifically selective for heavy metals and
can be easily disposed by incineration. (Barre, A., Peumans, W.J., Menu-Bouaouiche, L., Van
Damme, E.J.L., May, G.D.,Herrera, A.F. VanLeuven F., Rouge, P., (2000).)
In addition, its content in ascorbic acid exerts an inhibitory effect against bacteria. Moreover, the
banana processing industry generates a huge amount of solid wastes, which are dumped in land-
fills, rivers, oceans and unregulated dumping grounds. Therefore, their reutilization would help
to diminish the pollution problems caused by their disposal. (Koshte, V.L., van Dijk, W., van der
Stelt, M.E., Aalberse, R.C., (1990).)
glass, ceramics, potassium silicate, pharmaceuticals, food, detergents and cleaners, photographic
chemicals, agricultural, gas purification, rubber additives, polymer catalysts, potassium
bicarbonate, cement, and textiles. (Englberger, L., Darton-Hill, I., Coyne, T., Fitzgerald, M.H.,
Marks, G.C., (2003).)
Potassium carbonate is manufactured in a fluidized bed reactor. This results in a product that is
anhydrous, making it unnecessary to perform any further processing to eliminate hydrated water
(calcining). The process starts with potassium chloride and through an electrolytic conversion of
the KCl salt, potassium hydroxide (caustic potash, KOH), chlorine (Cl2) and hydrogen (H2) are
produced.
Liquid caustic potash and carbon dioxide are the only raw materials required for producing
potassium carbonate. The dry potassium carbonate can easily be dissolved in water to form a
liquid solution. Typically, a 47% solution is recommended as this capitalizes on the highest
concentration with the lowest freezing point (3°F). This minimizes handling problems during
colder weather. (Englberger, L., Darton-Hill, I., Coyne, T., Fitzgerald, M.H., Marks, G.C.,
(2003).)
Cl2
Recycle
Decomposer
KOH solution
Warm co2
H2
Fine
Fluidized bed reactor dryer
Granular K2CO3
Water
Dissolving system
Oversize
Screener
47% K2CO3
Dry K2CO3
When potassium carbonate is mixed with water, there is an exothermic reaction that causes it to
heat up. This process causes a rise in temperature but is not a suitable for heating something up
because the reaction only lasts for a short time. Potassium carbonate dehydrate is a suitable
electrolyte replacement when used in generators and other devices that run on the electrolyte
solution processes. It is a much safer alternative to potassium hydroxide, which is used more
frequently in batteries and other applications. Potassium carbonate can be used in food
production. A common Asian cuisine that uses potassium carbonate is grass jelly. A neutral
tasting mint-like herb is generally used to prepare it. (Kanazawa, K., Sakakibara, H., (2000).)
Laboratory
Potassium carbonate is a suitable replacement for calcium chloride and magnesium sulfate when
used as a drying agent in the lab. It is not a good replacement if the material that needs to be
dried is acidic. Potassium carbonate is used to maintain the anhydrous (without water) conditions
possible when used in a way that will not react with other reactants or any products that are
formed from the processing of said reactants. Potassium carbonate can also be used to dry
ketones, alcohols, and amines before they are distilled. (Foy, J.M., Parratt, J.R, (1960))
Fire Extinguisher/Retardant
Potassium carbonate can be used in extinguishers to our high heat flame fires (such as oil fires
and other types of class B fires). The chemical acts as a fire suppressant/fire proof coating and is
very useful for extinguishing and preventing the spread of fire. It can be used in both liquefied
(aqueous) and dry states in fire extinguishing. It is two times more effective than baking soda on
oil and gas based fires. (Foy, J.M., Parratt, J.R, (1960))
General Usage
Potassium carbonate can be used to produce soaps, glasses, and china porcelain. (Foy, J.M.,
Parratt, J.R, (1960))
Particle size Typically material is between 18 and 80 mesh for granular and through
325 mesh for ground material
Bulk density 1202-1346 kg/m3 /(granular, varies by grade) 16.78 kg/m3 (extra fine
Reaction with acid Neutralizes acids exothermically to form salt plus water
Reaction with water Water easily form air and it dissolves in water
Reaction with metals React with certain metals (such as aluminum and zinc)to form
oxides or hydroxides of the metal and generate gaseous hydrogen.
flammability May generate flammable and /or toxic gases ammonium salt,
nitrides, halogenated organics, various metals, peroxides and hydro-
peroxides
combustion Non-combustible, substance itself does not burn but may decompose
upon heating
Reaction with catalyst May serve as catalyst. react when heated above 840c with aqueous
solution of reducing sugar other than sucrose, to evolve toxic level
of carbon monoxides
Reaction with organic May initiate polymerization reactions in polymerizable organic
compounds compounds especially epoxides
2. Knife: Initially cutting peels into smaller pieces for easier drying and handling.
3. Oven Dryer: Removing moisture from the banana peels. This is crucial for efficient
combustion and potassium extraction.
4. Crusher: Grinding the dried peels into a finer powder, increasing surface area for extraction.
5. Shaker: Mixing the powdered peels with a solvent (likely water) to extract potassium. This
could be a simple flask and agitation or a more specialized shaker apparatus.
6. Weighing Balance: Accurately measuring the peels, solvent, and later, the potassium
carbonate product for yield calculations and process control.
7. Filter Paper: Separating the liquid extract (containing potassium) from the solid residue (spent
peels) after the extraction process.
8. Source of Heat (e.g., Bunsen burner, Hot Plate): Provides heat for evaporating the solvent
from the potassium-rich extract.
9. Flask: Container for heating and holding the potassium-rich extract during evaporation.
10. Furnace: Heating the dried, potassium-rich residue to high temperatures. This process
(calcinations) converts the potassium compounds into potassium carbonate (K2CO3).
11. Cylinder Measurement: Measuring the volume of liquids (solvents, extracts) during different
stages of the process.
12. PH Meter: Determining the pH of the potassium carbonate solution. This helps assess the
purity and adjust processing steps if needed.
Chemicals used
UNLIKELY for main potassium carbonate production: HCl is a strong acid, and directly
using it on banana peels would likely:
Degrade organic matter in undesirable ways.
Introduce chloride ions (Cl-), making it very difficult to isolate pure potassium carbonate
afterward.
Possible niche uses:
Pre-treatment: Highly diluted HCl might be used to remove surface contaminants
on peels, but this is not standard and risks peel degradation.
Analytical purposes: HCl solutions are used in titrations to determine the amount
of potassium carbonate produced, but this is after the main production process.
Essential for extraction: Distilled water is the most common and environmentally friendly
solvent for leaching potassium from banana peels.
Its polar nature helps dissolve potassium salts.
Purity is important to avoid introducing contaminants into the final product.
3. Ethanol (C2H5OH):
NOT for potassium carbonate production itself: Ethanol is less effective than water in
dissolving potassium salts.
Possible uses:
Pre-treatment: Ethanol can be used to extract certain organic compounds
from peels before potassium extraction. This might:
Remove pigments that could contaminate the final product.
Recover valuable byproducts, making the overall process more efficient.
Drying agent (alternative): While not as common as oven drying, ethanol can be used
to dehydrate peels via a solvent exchange process.
3.3. Methodology
Banana peel wastes will be collect and sundry and later oven-dry at a temperature of 1050 Cfor
two days to ensure adequate removal of moisture from the sample. Then banana peel will be
drying very well. The charred banana peel will be further burn in a temperature controlled
furnace set at a temperature above 5000 C for proper ash which last for about 6 h. The ash
sample will be homogenize by crushing it between fingers and then sieve with analytical sieve to
obtain uniform particles size. About 20g of the ash will place in a 3 liter round bottom flask and
80 milliliter of distill water will be added while 100milliliter of HCl will be also poured. Then
the flask will be put on an electric heating mantle and boil continuously to about 1000 C for 4hr
then solid residues (alkali) will be obtained and it will dry and weigh. The extracted alkali will be
further purified by subjecting it to series of re-crystallization until the melting point of the
resulting white solid will be sharp.
Analysis methods
The moisture content will be determined using the method suggested by Miroslav and Vladimir
(1999). (Moisture And Dry Content Analysis by Miroslav and Vladimir (1999) and
MacNaughton, W.K., Wallace, J.L., (1989).)
A known weight (w3) of each oven-dried sample will be placed in a porcelain crucible and ash in
muffle furnace set at 500 C for 6 hours; it will be cooled in desiccators, and the final weight (w4)
will be determined using electronic balance.
weight of sample(W 5)
density of as h es=
volume of quantity of ashes
The supposition that the ash-alkali extract is alkali hydroxide will have been brought about by
the explanation that K2O and/or Na2O is/are formed during the combustion of a plant material
and these dissolve in water during extraction to form hydroxides. But it may be saying that the
formation of K2O or Na2O will just result from the burning of pure metals (K or Na) in air; since
the K or Na in the plant material is bound in the organic matrix of the plant matter, the excessive
release of CO2 gas in the combustion system will rather favors the formation of carbonates of
these metals than their oxides. Since Plants contain alkali metals such as potassium, calcium,
sodium and magnesium. These metals are present in form of various salts. When the plant matter
is subjected to heat and burn in presence of air, the metals are oxidized to metal oxides. Carbon
dioxide produced during burning of carbonaceous matter, combines with potassium oxide to
produce potassium carbonate. Other products formed during burning, in presence of water vapor,
are potassium bicarbonate and potassium hydroxide.
The ash obtained at lower temperatures will blackish in color, indicating incomplete combustion
due to unburned carbon. At higher temperatures more and more of carbon is oxidized to carbon
dioxide. As the temperature rises beyond 700o c, reduction in mass is also due to disintegration
of solid compounds, alkali metal salts, into gaseous components.
Purchasing
Cleaning of all the purchased raw materials and equipment Week three
Conduct the experiment by using our material and equipment Week one November
Trail two evaluation of the process variable on the desired product Week three
PC
Finishing of writing of documentation and showing the document to Week one January
advisor for giving any progress.
Writing an improvement of the document that we will gain any Week two
information from our advisor.
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