Four students from the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Indonesia (UI) have developed an innovative product called X-PELBO: Waste Plastic to Eco-Lubricant Base Oil for engine lubricants made from waste plastic. The Lubritech team comprises Ariadne Jasmine, Fionna Aurell, Farrel Hakim, and Ni Putu Xyieloveeda Sequioa.
The innovation is the result of processing polypropylene (PP) plastic waste into base oil, which is the basic oil that makes up lubricants. The Lubritech team developed this product under the guidance of DTK FTUI Professor, Prof. Dr. Ir. Dijan Supramono, M.Sc. Thanks to this innovative idea, the team won first place in the Tribology category at the Think Efficiency 2023 competition organised by Shell Indonesia and Society Renewable Energy (SRE) Indonesia. In the competition, which was announced on Thursday (19/10), the Lubritech team managed to beat 50 student teams from other universities in Indonesia.
The innovative idea was based on the fact that the use of plastic has skyrocketed in various industries and households. Unfortunately, plastic is not biodegradable, which will damage the environment in the future. One of the most commonly used types of plastic is PP plastic, which is found in beverage bottles, food containers, and other consumer packaging. This PP plastic contributes greatly to the problem of plastic waste accumulation around the world.
“In addition, it is important to remember that Indonesia is the second largest contributor of plastic waste in the world with 64 million tonnes of plastic waste every year. To tackle this serious problem, recycling plastic is key to reducing plastic pollution. The Lubritech team has risen to this challenge with their innovation in a product called X-PELBO,” said Fionna Aurell.
Typically, engine lubricants use high-grade base oils derived from refined petroleum. The Lubritech team’s innovation is a breakthrough as a solution and innovation to support a sustainable environment by creating X-PELBO.
“With the spirit of ‘the best lubricant begins with the best base oil’ X-PELBO brings a variety of advantages. In addition to being a solution for processing PP plastic waste with high selling value, this product also reduces dependence on non-renewable petroleum resources. X-PELBO also features outstanding evaporation ability, stability and lubricity. Another important advantage is X-PELBO’s market price, which is 76% cheaper than competing products, at only Rp11,999 per litre,” said Ariadne Jasmine.
She further said that the production process of X-PELBO involves three stages, namely pyrolysis, hydrocracking, and distillation. In the pyrolysis stage, PP plastic waste is first heated without oxygen at 524 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes, this process breaks the long chains of PP plastic. In the hydrocracking process, the C30 carbon chain is broken down to C16. This is the carbon chain that makes up the desired base oil. The final stage is atmospheric distillation which is carried out twice to separate the main product (C16) from the by-products (C3 and C8).
Although derived from the processing of PP plastic waste, the base oil in X-PELBO reaches about 70-80% in each lubricant of the highest quality. Test results show that the Viscosity Index of X-PELBO reaches 120 with sulfur content below 0.2%, so it is included in group III base oil, which is one of the superior class base oils.
Dean of FTUI Prof. Dr. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU, said, “The Lubritech Team’s innovation is proof that FTUI students have strong critical thinking and can provide innovative alternatives that support environmental sustainability. The Lubritech team not only presents brilliant solutions but also inspires the great potential of Indonesia’s young generation in overcoming energy and environmental challenges.”
Think Efficiency 2023 is a collaborative competition between Shell Indonesia and SRE Indonesia. It is a competition that aims to encourage active students who have an interest in energy, tribology, and digitalisation to produce efficient and impactful innovations.
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Public Communication Bureau
Faculty of Engineering, University of Indonesia