SYNTHESIS OF SCALE INHIBITORS FROM PINEAPPLE LEAF FIBER EXTRACT (ANANAS COMOSUS)
OYEDEKO K.F, AGBETAN G.O, AKINYEMI O.P
ETRJ. Vol. 5(1), 31 March, 2020
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Abstract: Scale inhibitors (SIs) are chemical substances that, when added to the scaling medium in little quantity mitigate or
stops the further growth of scales. Scale is any crystalline deposit (salt) resulting from the precipitation of mineral
compounds present in water. Preventing scale formation relies on understanding the composition of the scale,
appropriate scale inhibitor, and early pretreatment. Many synthetic inhibitors are highly toxic to both humans and
environment. Due to the hazardous effect of most of these inhibitors and restrictive environmental regulations, there
have been need to focus on the development of natural renewable inhibitors that are environmentally friendly,
ecologically acceptable, abundant and inexpensive. In this study Pineapple leaf is locally sourced and extracted to
inhibit the growth of scale. The extract was prepared by dissolving 1g of dry pineapple leaf powder in water with total
volume of 1L at a temperature of 90oC. This solution was diluted, followed by crystallization process at operating
condition of 85oC. This process was followed by filtration and the residues obtained were weighed and recorded. The
percentage inhibition rate of the plant material obtained gives an approximate value of 42.25%.The study of utilization
of Pineapple leave fiber (PALF) can be a new source of raw material to the industries and can be potential replacement
of the expensive and nonrenewable synthetic chemicals. The advantage of natural fibers is their continuous supply,
easy and safe handling, and biodegradable nature which are a characteristic to all green materials.
