Increase Added Value, Ministry Of Industry Together With ITB Develop Silika And Graphic Purification

Director General of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Textile Industries (IKFT) of the Ministry of Industry Taufiek Bawazier (left) together with the Chancellor of ITB Tatacipta Dirgantara (right) (kemenperin)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) together with the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) collaborated on a specific technology study related to the purification of silica nonlogam and graphite excavation materials, in order to increase added value in the national priority industry sector.

"We hope that through this collaboration we will be able to prepare a technology study and support the national priority program to industrialize non-metallic excavated materials, such as silica and graphite," said Minister of Industry (Menperin) Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita in an official statement quoted Wednesday, October 29.

The Director General of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Textile Industries (IKFT) of the Ministry of Industry, Taufiek Bawazier, explained that the specific technology study, which was confirmed in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on October 27, aims to process silica into a metallic-graded silicon based on mineral resources.

In addition, his party together with ITB conducted a study on natural graphite refining technology and the processing of synthetic graphite along with economic analysis for industrial implementation in Indonesia.

The study cooperation is considered important because Indonesia has great potential for silica and graphite commodities that play a strategic role for the industry in the future.

Based on data released by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) in 2025, the availability (resources) of silica mineral resources in Indonesia in the form of silica/quarsese sand, quartz and quartic rock reached 27 billion tons and reserves (reserved) reached 7 billion tons.

Meanwhile, the availability of graphite in Indonesia in 2023 is 31 million tons. Apart from mineral sources in the form of natural graphite, graphite can also be produced from other potential resources, such as petroleum and coal komas.

"This silica is widely used as raw material for downstream industries, such as tires, glass, cement and semiconductors. Meanwhile, graphite is a strategic commodity for the lubricant, electronics, composite, automotive industries and can also be made from other carbon-based materials," he said.

Meanwhile, the Chancellor of ITB Tatacipta Dirgantara also welcomed the cooperation program.

"Currently, ITB has the main mission to become a global-puted world-class university while still relevant to the nation. This encourages us to be observant in looking for potential that can be developed to increase added value," he said.