Penelitian ini mengkaji pengaruh penggunaan reduktor biomassa dari cangkang sawit pada proses reduksi karbotermik ilmenit. Berdasarkan hasil pengujian XRF mineral ilmenit yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini mengandung TiO2 dan Fe2O3 masing-masing sebesar 50,2% dan 37,5%. Proses reduksi karbotermik dilakukan pada temperatur 1000°C, 1100°C, dan 1200°C dengan waktu tahan 0,5 jam, 1 jam, 2 jam, dan 3 jam. Reduktor biomassa yang digunakan berasal dari cangkang sawit dengan penambahan 6 wt%, 8 wt%, 9 wt%, dan 10 wt%. Setelah mendapatkan kondisi reduksi karbotermik yang optimal, yaitu reduksi karbotermik ilmenit dengan 9 wt% reduktor pada temperatur 1200°C selama 2 jam yang menghasilkan recovery Fe dan Ti tertinggi, yaitu masingmasing sebesar 87,03% dan 12,53%. Kemudian dilakukan reduksi karbotermik ilmenit dengan reduktor grafit sebagai pembanding. Setelah proses reduksi karbotermik dilakukan kemudian dilakukan karakterisasi menggunakan XRD, OM, SEM, BET, dan TEM. Hasil penelitian ini menyatakan bahwa reduksi karbotermik ilmenit dengan reduktor biomassa menghasilkan lebih banyak retak/pori yang memfasilitasi terbentuknya Fe di daerah dekat retak/pori.

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The effect of using biomass as a reducing agent from oil palm shells on the ilmenite carbothermic reduction process is investigated in this study. The ilmenite minerals employed in this investigation contained 50.2 percent TiO2 and 37.5 percent Fe2O3, according to the XRF test results. The carbothermic reduction process was performed at temperatures of 1000°C, 1100°C, and 1200°C for 0.5, 1 hour, 2 hours, and 3 hours. The reducing agent of biomass used is derived from oil palm shells with the addition of 6 wt%, 8 wt%, 9 wt%, and 10 wt%. After obtaining the ideal carbothermic reduction conditions, namely ilmenite carbothermic reduction with 9 wt percent reducing agent at a temperature of 1200°C for 2 hours, the maximum recovery of Fe and Ti were obtained, which were 87.03 percent and 12.53 percent, respectively. The carbothermic reduction of ilmenite was then performed with graphite as a reducing agent for comparison. After the carbothermic reduction procedure, characterisation was carried out utilizing XRD, OM, SEM, BET, and TEM. The results of this investigation showed that carbothermic reduction of ilmenite with a biomass reducing agent resulted in more cracks/pores, which facilitated the creation of Fe in the area near the cracks/pores.