(left to right) Alvin Rahmad Widyanto, Hafildatur Rosyidah, Ir Endang Purwanti Setyaningsih MT, and Vina Rizky Andina

ITS Campus, ITS News – The increasing number of vehicle driver nowadays, of course also results in increasing air pollution levels. Especially in the radius of less green environment or lack of plants that grow, it can be ensured the air quality does not comply with the existing health regulations.

Realizing that, three students of the Department of Chemistry of Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) changed the air pollution of the motor vehicle into the safe and decent exhaust gas. The three students were Alvin Rahmad Widyanto, Vina Rizky Andina, and Hafildatur Rosyidah under the guidance of the lecturer Ir Endang Purwanti Setyaningsih MT.

The air pollution that mentioned is the types of toxic gases that can cause respiratory disorders or diseases, such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and hydrocarbon gases. “This needs to be handled further due to human activities that can not escape from vehicles, and if left unchecked will further worsen environmental health,” said Alvin who is believed to be the team leader.

To overcome the problem, Alvin continued, he and his team innovated to create catalytic converter in the form of a reactor or small tube containing copper wire plates and solid chemical compounds in the form of MnO2/Zeolit-Y hierarchy catalyst.

According to Alvin, the presence of copper and catalyst is useful to reduce or convert carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and hydrocarbons gases into carbon dioxide gases, nitrogen, water vapor, and sulfate ions. “So the process is the toxic gases were absorbed first by the catalyst and then converted by the catalyst as well,” he continued.

Alvin Rahmad Widyanto was doing synthesis of catalytic material at the ITS Chemistry Laboratory

The gas produced by the converter has been researched by the team as very safe and beneficial for the environment. “Like carbon dioxide gas as photosynthetic materials for plants, nitrogen for carrying capacity of soil fertility, water vapor and sulfate ions as a safe product for the environment,” explained the student who from Mojokerto.

This catalytic reactor has been installed by the team on the vehicle exhaust and arranged in such a way as not to cause noise pollution from the exhaust. According to Alvin, the catalytic converter advantage can be used in one year with a one-time replacement of materials. Besides that, the catalyst material used is economical and easy to obtain in the chemical market in general.

The innovations developed by this team will be shown as a form of research work on the 32nd National Student Scientific Week (Pimnas) on the upcoming 27 August. “We are very proud when we managed to become ITS representative at the Pimnas this time, and we hope to get a gold medal later,” said Vina, another team member, with full of hope. (rio/gayatri/ITS Public Relation)

Alvin Rahmad Widyanto and his colleague were testing the catalytic converter directly on the motorcycle exhaust