Enhancing Evaporation Surface Area of Traditional Salt Pond using Coconut Fiber Adsorbent

Abstract

Jeneponto Regency is a center of the salt industry in South Sulawesi which is generally carried out traditionally. Jeneponto is also one of the areas producing coconut. Coconut fiber which is still not widely utilized has fibers that can be used as an adsorbent. This research aims to increase the production of the traditional salt industry by adding coconut fiber adsorbents to accelerate the evaporation process of salt water. The research is carried out by conducting an analysis in traditional ponds to study the factors that influence the salting process in traditional salt ponds. Furthermore, the salting process is carried out on a laboratory scale of traditional salt ponds equipped with the addition of coconut fiber to increase the surface area of evaporation. The results of the research show that the traditional salt ponds in Jeneponto rely on the use of the direct sun for the water evaporation until salt crystals are formed in the ponds. The study also shows that the use of coconut fiber increases the surface area of evaporation so that the evaporation of seawater increases.