Production of Liquid Fuel from South Sumatra Remilling Rubber Waste through TiO₂-Catalyzed Cracking: Effects of Temperature and Catalyst Loading on Fuel Characteristics

catalytic cracking; remilling rubber latex waste; TiO₂ catalyst; liquid fuel; waste-to-energy; cetane number.

Authors

  • Marhaini Chemical Engineering Program, University of Muhammadiyah Palembang, Indonesia
  • Dian Kharismadewi Chemical Engineering Program, University of Muhammadiyah Palembang, Indonesia
  • Ani Melani Chemical Engineering Program, University of Muhammadiyah Palembang, Indonesia
  • Dayang Sari Chemical Engineering Program, University of Muhammadiyah Palembang, Indonesia
August 29, 2026
September 1, 2026

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This study investigated the effects of reaction temperature and TiO₂ catalyst loading on the production yield and fuel properties of liquid fuel derived from remilling rubber latex waste through catalytic cracking. Experiments were conducted at temperatures of 300, 350, and 400°C using catalyst loadings of 33.7, 37.5, and 41.2 g for 60 minutes under a pressure of 70 psi. The liquid products were characterized in terms of yield, density, viscosity, flash point, calorific value, cetane number, and functional groups using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that both reaction temperature and catalyst loading significantly influenced product yield and fuel characteristics. The highest liquid fuel yield of 38.04% was obtained at 350°C with a catalyst loading of 41.2 g. The resulting fuel exhibited densities ranging from 0.8156 to 0.8628 g/mL, viscosities from 0.86 to 0.95 mm²/s, flash points between 30.6 and 36.2°C, and a maximum calorific value of 41.337 MJ/kg, which is comparable to that of commercial diesel fuel. FTIR analysis confirmed the predominance of aliphatic –CH₂– and –CH₃ functional groups, indicating the formation of alkane fractions through the cleavage of polyisoprene chains. The cetane number reached 51.1, suggesting favorable combustion quality and compliance with the typical range of commercial diesel fuels. These findings indicate that remilling rubber latex waste has considerable potential as a sustainable alternative energy resource for liquid fuel production.