Production of Liquid Fuel as an Alternative Energy Source from Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) via Activated Natural Zeolite Catalyzed-Pyrolysis Process

¹ Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Diponegoro, 50275, Semarang, Indonesia
² Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Diponegoro, 50275, Semarang, Indonesia
³ Engineer Professional Study Program Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Diponegoro, 50275, Semarang, Indonesia
⁴ Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Diponegoro, 50275, Semarang, Indonesia
⁵ Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Islam of Nahdlatul Ulama, 59427, Jepara, Indonesia
⁶ Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Diponegoro, 50275, Semarang, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: qomar@unisnu.ac.id

Abstract

The rapid development and population growth in Indonesia have increased mobility, resulting in more road damage and asphalt waste, known as reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). While RAP is typically reused in asphalt mixtures to reduce production costs, this study explores its potential as a feedstock for liquid fuel production via pyrolysis. RAP, a recycled material from old or damaged asphalt layers, was subjected to pyrolysis at temperatures of 400°C, 450°C, 500°C, and 550°C for 3 hours, using 5 kg of RAP and natural zeolite catalyst concentrations of 0%, 3%, 5%, and 7%. The zeolite catalyst was prepared, activated, and characterized using XRD and SEM, while the pyrolysis oil was analyzed by GC-MS to determine yield, density, and hydrocarbon composition. The results indicate that both temperature and catalyst concentration significantly affect the oil yield and properties, with the highest liquid fuel yield of 7.9% and residue yield of 13.03% obtained at 550°C and 7% catalyst. XRD analysis showed that the activated zeolite predominantly contained the clinoptilolite phase, and SEM revealed a more homogeneous surface morphology. The resulting oil consisted mainly of hydrocarbons with carbon chains ranging from C10 to C20 and had a density between 0.8 and 0.85 g/cm³, aligning with liquid fuel standards. This study demonstrates that RAP can be effectively converted into alternative fuel, offering both waste reduction and economic benefits, with potential for industrial-scale application.