UI presents utilisation of rice husk waste for electric car battery materials

Depok (ANTARA) - The University of Indonesia (UI) has developed the use of rice husk waste as a material for electric car batteries, as part of the university’s commitment to producing innovations to address global challenges. Through a dissertation titled ‘Utilisation of Rice Husk as a Source of Carbon and Silica to Modify Sodium-Doped NMC811 as a Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode’, doctoral graduate Fiona Angellinov from the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering (FTUI), presented the potential of rice husk waste as a raw material for electric vehicle batteries. Speaking at the UI campus in Depok on Tuesday, she offered an innovative approach by utilising rice husks as a source of carbon and silica to enhance the performance of lithium-ion battery cathodes. This finding opens up opportunities for utilising local resources to strengthen the national battery industry and support a sustainable energy transition. Through this research, rice husks are processed into silica and carbon materials used to modify sodium-doped NMC811 (Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide) cathodes. She stated that this material engineering has been proven to increase the structural stability and electrochemical performance of the cathode, potentially yielding batteries that are more efficient, durable, and environmentally friendly. Dean of FTUI, Prof. Kemas Ridwan Kurniawan, affirmed that Fiona’s achievement demonstrates FTUI’s research direction, which is not only oriented towards academic excellence but also real solutions to global challenges. This finding confirms that agricultural waste not only has new economic value but also has the potential to become part of future energy technology solutions. Through innovation based on local resources, UI continues to encourage the birth of research that supports the sustainability agenda, downstream processing, and energy transition in Indonesia and the world.