Strengthen Collaboration UNAIR ITK Develops Distillation Membrane Fabrication Research
Universitas Airlangga and the Kalimantan Institute of Technology (ITK) collaborated on research involving the development of cellulose acetate-based hollow fiber membranes for seawater treatment applications. The research, initiated in September (9/21), began with discussions on topics and research plans between students and their supervising professors. It progressed with activities introducing the laboratory environment and the stages and techniques of operating the hollow fiber spinning equipment.
Initiated by Yanuardi Raharjo, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D., from Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) and Dr. Moch. Purwanto, S.Si., M.Si., from ITK, the research has had numerous positive impacts on the students. This endeavor supports the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) program, providing opportunities for students to engage in off-campus activities. Students from ITK were enthusiastic about participating in this collaboration, benefiting from the excellent academic environment and culture at Universitas Airlangga. Moreover, the supportive and friendly research colleagues greatly facilitated their laboratory work. Students gained valuable experience in membrane fabrication using adequate equipment, enhancing their skills and competencies significantly. Such opportunities are crucial in efforts to improve the quality of students’ human resources.
The research developed aims to address the challenge of ensuring clean water resilience for communities. In Indonesia, clean water primarily comes from rivers or groundwater accessed through wells. However, being an archipelagic nation dominated by seawater, Indonesia presents a significant opportunity for processing through desalination processes to meet clean water needs. This involves reducing salt content using membrane technology, specifically hollow fiber membranes.
Yanuardi Raharjo, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D., a lecturer in Analytical Chemistry and coordinator of the Postgraduate Chemistry Program at Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR), explains that the membranes used in this process are hollow fiber membranes. The equipment required for fabrication is fully available in the Department of Chemistry at UNAIR. This research collaboration aims to produce high-performance membrane products for water treatment applications. It will be followed by joint publications aimed at achieving international recognition, supporting the enhancement of the three pillars of higher education (education, research, and community service) for both institutions.
The research activities, spanning several months, are closely monitored to ensure process and output quality. Progress discussions occur biweekly, with students preparing final reports and presenting them for evaluation. All activities are executed in commitment to collaboration between ITK and UNAIR. The hope is that these activities will continue with various research initiatives, yielding valuable outputs and publications beneficial to society.
