The number of vehicles in Indonesia has reached 104.211 million units in 2013. From the total number, 86.253 units are motorcycles. Considering the number of the vehicle, there has been an increasing amount of air pollutants. This is due to the incomplete combustion process.
This condition has inspired four students of YSU to create a product to minimize the gas emission. The gas emission disposed through then exhaust manifold is not directly release to the environment but is processed by using catalytic converter. The catalytic converter is made from active carbon extracted from dried and carbonated cocoa skinn as an adsorbent.
They are Ardi Aprilianto and Aan Yudianto from the Department of Automotive Engineering, Puthy Nurlina Sari from the Physics Study Program, and Devry Pramesty Putri from the Chemistry Study Program.
Ardi explained that their product is called IMOSION (Inovation Muffler Low Emission) which is used as catalytic converter. It is aimed at oxidizing gases like CO into CO2. The team use the cocoa skin because it is mostly disposed and the amount is abundant in the plantation.
“Cacao skin contains cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, very potential for activated charcoal,” said Devry.
Aan added that regular replacement for the catalytic converter is needed after the vehicle reaches a certain distance, depending the type of the vehicle.
For their project, the students receive the grant for Students’ Creativity Program funded by the Indonesian Directorate for Higher Education.