The Effect of Air Injection Flowrate on Nitrate Synthesis with The Addition of Fe²⁺ Ions Using Plasma Electrolysis

¹ Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Sekaran Gunungpati, 50299 Semarang, Indonesia
² Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Sekaran Gunungpati, 50299 Semarang, Indonesia
³ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Sekaran Gunungpati, 50299 Semarang, Indonesia
⁴ College of Ecology and The Environment, Xiamen University, 361102 Xiamen, Fujian, PR China

^* Corresponding author: tonni@xmu.edu.cn

Abstract

This study aims to determine the effect of air flow rate on nitrate synthesis with the addition of Fe²⁺ ions using the plasma electrolysis method. Nitrate synthesis usually uses conventional technology that causes air emissions. So that plasma electrolysis technology is needed that does not cause emissions and is environmentally friendly. The methods used in this study include designing a plasma electrolysis reactor using 0.02 M K2SO4 electrolyte, testing the plasma electrolysis reactor to determine the formation of a glow discharge zone as an indicator of the nitrate synthesis process, testing nitrate production using a UV VIS spectrophotometer and •OH radicals using HPLC. The air reaction rate at variations of 0.2 Lmen^-1, 0.4 Lmen^-1, 0.6 Lmen^-1, 0.8 Lmen^-1 and 1 Lmen^-1 was injected into the reactor. The concentration of Fe²⁺ ions at 10 ppm, 20 ppm, 30 ppm, 40 ppm and 50 ppm was analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the ion. The results obtained were that the highest nitrate at 400 Watt power was 2976 ppm, at 500 Watt power was 3063 ppm, and at 600 Watt power was 3373 ppm. the highest nitrate production was achieved at a concentration of 30 ppm with a result of 2785 ppm, followed by a concentration of 40 ppm with a result of 2645 ppm, a concentration of 20 ppm with a result of 2512 ppm, a concentration of 10 ppm with a result of 2478 ppm, and a concentration of 50 ppm with a result of 2364 ppm..