IPB University Students Transform Palm Oil Waste Into Environmentally Friendly Acoustic Panels

Three students from the Department of Physics at IPB University, namely Pristy Tasya Nabila, Salsabilla Permata Bayah, and Annisa Nur Azahra, succeeded in processing palm oil waste into environmentally friendly acoustic panels.

This innovation was born from their concern about the abundance of palm oil waste in Indonesia, especially after the three of them directly reviewed the condition of plantations in the Kalimantan area.

“We see that the impact of palm oil in Indonesia is very significant, especially in terms of the waste produced. Starting from palm trunks to empty palm fruit bunches (EPFB). From there, we tried to find a way for the waste to be processed into more useful materials,” explained Pristy.

Starting from that idea, the team processed palm trunks and EPFB into acoustic panels. The process is quite simple. The palm trunk is dried and then ground into powder. Meanwhile, the EPFB is cut into fibers. Both materials are then mixed with tapioca flour as a natural adhesive, molded, and then heated in an oven.

“We chose tapioca flour because it is natural, easy to obtain, and has starch content that is effective as a binder,” added Annisa.

Laboratory tests show that the acoustic panels made by IPB University students have a sound absorption coefficient of 0,8 (80%), approaching the quality of commercial acoustic panels.

“Our product is not only environmentally friendly, but also has performance equivalent to factory-made panels. In fact, testing shows the panel can reduce sound by up to 21 percent,” said Salsabilla. At present, she and the team are also continuing to develop this panel through various endurance tests (burn, soak, and strength tests).

The product named Trangton has even led the team to achieve remarkable accomplishments, namely First Place and Best Presentation at the International Oil Palm Trunk Product Design Competition 2025. This achievement also opens up great opportunities for Trangton to move on to commercialization.

Even so, the team still faces obstacles, especially in transporting palm trunks which are large in size. “The solution is that the palm trunks can be dried at the plantation site first so that they are lighter to move. The manufacturing process is actually simple, but the results are extraordinary,” said Pristy.

Going forward, they are optimistic that this innovation can be developed more widely with the support of investors or industrial partners. That way, palm oil waste that was previously wasted can have added value as well as become an alternative sustainable acoustic panel that is environmentally friendly. (AS) (IAAS/KMR)