Author: Suharso, C. G. Patraini, Buhani, Tugiyono, A. A. Kiswandono and Musa

DOI: http://doi.org/10.31788/RJC.2026.1919463

This study evaluates the effectiveness of palm shell liquid smoke and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid as inhibitorsof calcium carbonate crystal growth at solution concentrations of 0.0250 – 0.0500 M using the unseeded experiment method. The chemical composition of palm shell liquid smoke was characterised using IR and GC-MS, while crystal characterisation was performed using PSA, SEM, and XRD to observe particle size, morphology, and crystal phase. The results showed that palm shell liquid smoke inhibited crystal formation by 28-41%, with optimal performanceat a 25% concentration, while ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid reached 79-84%. The addition of inhibitors resultedinsmaller crystals and a more uniform particle size distribution. SEM indicated changes in crystal morphology, andXRD confirmed a phase shift from calcite to aragonite and vaterite. This demonstrates that palm shell liquid smokeeffectively disrupts crystallisation and has potential for preventing scale in industrial applications.

Keywords: Calcium Carbonate, Green Scaling Inhibitor, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid, Crystal GrowthInhibition, Palm Shell Liquid Smoke