Starting from the working experience in large industrial and concerns on the waste generated, Eddy Heraldy conducted a doctoral research at the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences UGM. Eddy Heraldy, lecturer at Sebelas Maret University (UNS), examined the residual water waste from the sea water desalination unit for Steam Power Plant.
"A lot of wastes pollute the environment. Ironically, the waste is produced by industrial equipment that has not been efficient," Eddy said while defending his dissertation entitled Synthesis of hydrotalcite-Like Compounds of Magnesium base from Brine Water and the Ability Test as a sorbent Species of Anionic Organic, in an open test at UGM, Saturday (9/10).
He said in the power plant operation, large capacity of clean water is needed from the seawater desalination process. Problems arise because from the desalination process brine water is produced in the form of 60% sea water residue that is not utilized. The brine water contains alkali metals and soil in high levels.
He gave an example, Tanjung Balai B steam power plant in Jepara, Central Java, generates electricity with a total power of 1320 MW needs 320 cubic meters of sea water per hour to be able to run. However, the residual brine water that is produced reaches 200 cubic meters per hour. With the tendency in Indonesia to produce up to a capacity of 10,000 MW, the potential for alkali and earth alkaline concentrates that are sent to the sea is bigger.
"This means that the more steam power plants in Indonesia, which are generally located near the beach, the more brine water that is not utilized; and the cost of desalination process is very expensive," the man born in Jakarta, March 5, 1964, explained.
Through the doctoral research with the supervisors, Prof. Dr. Triyono, Prof. Dr. Sri Juari, and Prof. Dr. Karna Wijaya of Chemistry Department, UGM, Eddy has been focusing on the search for the utilization of brine water from desalination. Through his research, he managed to synthesize a compound similar to hydrotalcite (hydrotalcite-like) that is obtained from the magnesium, one of the main earth alkaline metals in the brine water. Hydrotalcite compounds can be used as an absorber (sorbent), catalyst precursor, catalyst, and excipient of the pharmaceutical industry.
"So, the residual brine water contains waste absorbent material. When the magnesium from the brine water is taken and added with aluminum compounds, there is the potential solutions to industrial waste reduction efforts through the production of absorbent material from the magnesium of the steam power plant residues," Edy said.
Through the promotional exam, Eddy Heraldy proved that hydrotalcite material can be synthesized from magnesium materials taken from the residual brine water from steam power plant. He believes that the absorbent made from hydrotalcite, pharmaceutical excipients, and chemical reactions catalyst can be made through home industries around the power plant. Thus, the economic potential of communities there can be enhanced, as well as to produce salt. In the exam which was also attended by the Dean and Vice Dean from UNS, Eddy managed to graduate with honors.