One of the by-products of the biodiesel industry is crude glycerol. Crude glycerol with the esterification process assisted by the use of heterogeneous catalysts can produce triacetin. Projected biodiesel production until 2030 will reach 50 billion liters. The impact on the amount of by-product produced also continues to increase so it needs to be optimized in further processes. The research aimed at producing triacetin using biodiesel industry products as a source of glycerol and determine various ratios of glycerol volume during the esterification process and the use of catalysts based on wetland biomass waste from Marabahan orange peel. The method started from the preparation of materials, extraction and synthesis of catalysts, purification of crude glycerol and the esterification process. The results of which were then carried out a GC-MS test to determine the selectivity of triacetin. The highest glycerol conversion was obtained in a treatment using a reactant volume ratio of 1:12 with a heterogeneous catalyst of SiO2 derived from orange peel biomass. The conversion value obtained was 97.41% with 100% triacetin selectivity. Wetland potential such as biomass from orange peel which is used as heterogeneous catalyst can be recommended in the esterification process to obtain high conversion values.

Keywords : Esterification Process, GC-MS, Glycerol Conversion, SiO2, Triacetin Selectivity.