Characteristics of clamshell flour Donax sp from Sapola sub-village of Seram Island

Abstract

Clam meat is consumed by the people of Sapola sub-village on Seram Island, and the shells are processed into flour by roasting and soaking in a husk ash solution. This traditional method, with its simple and inexpensive equipment, causes pollution. Another method of producing shell flour that uses NaOH as a solvent has resulted in shell flour with high mineral content. The objective of this study was to compare the physical and chemical properties of Donax sp shell flour using the traditional method and the chemical method with NaOH solution. Laboratory analysis was used as the research method in this study. The process included examinations on shape, size, color, and yield of the shell flour, as well as the water content and mineral content of CaCO3, MgO, SiO2, and sulphur. The results revealed differences in the physical properties and mineral content of clam shell flour when using traditional and chemical methods. Donax sp shell flour obtained by soaking purplish-white NaOH, powder form size 18 mesh size, CaCO3 content of 96.60%, MgO 0.03%, SiO2 0.33%, Sulphur 0.02%, water 0.27%, yield 41.67%, while clam shell flour obtained by burning silver white, powder form size 18, CaCO3 content of 85.92%, MgO 0.06%, SiO2 0.33%, Sulphur 0.01%