Production of sustainable automotive oil filter paper from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB)

Abstract The rapid growth of the Indonesian automotive sector, marked by over 147 million four-wheeled vehicles and rising annual sales, has intensified the demand for disposable oil filters. Current filters are primarily made of synthetic fibers, glass fibers, and paper or porous synthetic foam, creating non-recyclable waste. This study explores the use of cellulose from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) as environmentally-friendly filter paper. Modified cellulose can be developed for microfiltration, as OPEFB naturally has a porous cellulose content. The OPEFB raw material was prepared using a water retting process, with optimal results observed after 8 days. Subsequent chemi-mechanical pulping achieved a high yield of up to 79.12 %. Pulp quality is analysed based on pore morphology, as well as mechanical properties such as elongation, cracking, and tear index for each freeness value in CSF. OPEFB pulp was blended with NBKP, LBKP, and fiberglass to fabricate test filters. The sample containing OPEFB, NBKP, and LBKP exhibited a mean pore size of 17.6 µm, and air permeability 2050.5 µm/pa.sec, which is comparable to commercially available oil filters. These results successfully demonstrate that OPEFB biomass can be converted into a sustainable oil filter material comparable to commercial alternatives through a low-chemical process.