AN FTUI PROFESSOR, PROF. PRASWASTI P.D.K.W., MT.: SOLUTIONS IN THE FIELD OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS AND HEALTH THROUGH NANO AND CARBON TECHNOLOGY
Nanotechnology and carbon technology have the potential to bring significant progress and improvements in various industries and play an important role in everyday life. Carbon-based nanomaterials have unique optical, electrical, chemical, mechanical, and thermal properties with promising prospects in advanced applications, such as electronics, batteries, capacitors, wastewater treatment, membranes, heterogeneous catalysts, and medical sciences. The applications depend on the properties or behavior exhibited by several chemical elements known as allotropes, in this case, carbon.
“Among allotropes of carbon, Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) can be one of the superior materials for nanotechnology that brings many advantages. CNT has the advantages of good mechanical properties, high modulus, good strength, and high flexibility. Thus, CNT is widely used in various composite material applications and in the health sector,” said Prof. Dr. Ir. Praswasti Pembangun Dyah Kencana Wulan, M.T., in her inauguration as Professor of the Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia (FTUI), on Wednesday (1/3).
There are several factors that affect the growth of CNTs, which are synthesis technique, carbon source, type of catalyst, and operating conditions such as reaction temperature and reaction time. Methane as a fossil-based carbon source aims to overcome the problem of carbon dioxide emissions by converting elemental carbon into CNT. Methane will decompose into simpler compounds (decomposition) with the help of metal-based catalysts such as Ni-Cu-Al. This catalyst is the best methane decomposition reaction catalyst in terms of CNT product quality, hydrogen selectivity, and stability.
“Alternative hydrocarbon sources made from plastic waste such as Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), which we usually encounter in mineral water containers, have started to be considered as a carbon source for CNT production since pyrolysis of plastic waste produces a series of compounds rich in hydrocarbons,” said Prof. Praswasti. She added, CNT production from plastic waste is more complicated than using pure hydrocarbons, so most research uses flame reactors.
The application of CNT-polymer in the field of composite materials is hugely preferred because it has good compatibility. The advantages of this composite product are lower production costs, abundant raw materials, flexibility in the manufacturing process, and better properties such as high density, low moisture content, and good dimensional stability. Meanwhile, the nanomedicine approach using CNT is developed to address the weaknesses of existing cancer treatments. CNTs have the potential to have high levels of drug targeting without reacting with other healthy cells. With a large surface area, CNTs have a high loading capacity for cancer drugs. CNTs are able to make drug delivery systems more effective and right on target, helping to reduce side effects and enhance therapeutic effects.
At the end of her speech, Prof. Praswasti said that nanotechnology offers innovative solutions to problems related to size, such as making materials stronger and more durable, as well as improvements in medicine and pharmaceuticals. Carbon technology has great potential to help improve the quality and effectiveness of healthcare and provide innovative solutions to global health problems.
The ceremony was also attended by Special Staff of the Presidential Staff Office, Ir. Arief Budhy Hardono; Deputy Mayor of Depok, Ir. Imam Budi Hartono, M.Si.; Scholarship Team Coordinator of Nuffic Nesso Indonesia, Ir. Indy Hardono, MBA; Chairman of Alumni Association of Universitas Indonesia (ILUNI UI) for the 2022–2025 period, Dr. Ir. Didit Hidayat A. Ratam, MBA .; Vice Chancellor IV for Research and Student Affairs at Telkom University Bandung, Dr. Ir. Rina Pudjiastuti, M.T .; and Head of the National Defense Education and Training Center of the Ministry of Defense, Brigadir Jenderal TNI Ketut Gede Wetan Pastia, S.E.
Since 1991 until now, Prof. Praswasti is a lecturer in Gas and Petrochemical Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering, FTUI. She also serves as the Head of Research Group Thermochemical Processes for the period of 2022 to 2026. She finished her undergraduate education at the Department of Gas and Petrochemical Engineering, FTUI. Still on the same campus, Prof. Praswasti continued her master’s studies in Gas Engineering in the Field of Metallurgical Engineering, PPSBIT (1994) and her doctoral studies in the Chemical Engineering Study Program, FTUI (2008).
Several of her recent scientific works that have been published include The Effect of H2O2 Concentration as Electron Acceptor on Bioregeneration of Activated Carbon Contaminated with A Benzene-Toluene Mixture (2022), The effect of iron-carbon ratio and on carbon nanotubes synthesis using camphor and ferrocene as carbon sources in the gauze reactor (2021), Thermoeconomic assessment and optimization of wells to flashâbinary cycle using pure R601 and zeotropic mixtures in the Sibayak geothermal field (2021), Carbon nanotubes synthesis using Fe-Co-Mo/ MgO tri-metallic catalyst: Study the effect of reaction temperature, reaction time and catalyst weight (2020), and Formation of TiO2nanotubular layers on Ti-6Al-4V based dental implants for inhibiting biofilm growth (2020).
See more:
