Assessment of RBD Palm Oil-in-Water Emulsion to Reduce Dust Exposure and Crystalline Silica in Abrasive Blasting

Authors

  • Muhammad Ikhwanuddin K. Samsudin Department of Mechanical Engineering. Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat, 86400, Malaysia
  • Hanis Zakaria Department of Mechanical Engineering. Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat, 86400, Malaysia
  • Muhammad Firdaus Abdul Rahman Department of Mechanical Engineering. Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat, 86400, Malaysia
  • Mohd Azham Azmi Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussin Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat, Johor, 86400, MALAYSIA
  • Suhaimi Hassan Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussin Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat, Johor, 86400, MALAYSIA
  • Noorul Azreen Azis National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health: Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, MALAYSIA
  • Ridwan Abdurrahman Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universitas Riau, Pekanbaru, 28293, Indonesia

Keywords:

Abrasive blasting, oil-in-water emulsion, dust exposure, palm oil, occupational safety and health

Abstract

Abrasive blasting widely used as surface preparation in industrial applications but poses significant occupational health risks due to airborne dust, particularly crystalline silica. This study investigates the effectiveness of Refined, Bleached, and Deodorized (RBD) palm oil-in-water emulsions in reducing inhalable and respirable dust concentrations during abrasive blasting. Using garnet abrasive media (30-60 mesh size) and varying emulsion ratios (95:5, 96:4, 97:3, 98:2, 99:1 and 100:0–water:oil ratio), dust exposure was measured via NIOSH methods; NMAM 0500 for inhalable dust and NMAM 0600 for respirable dust and analyzed using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Results show that the 95:5 emulsion ratio achieved up to 86% reduction in inhalable dust and 75% in respirable dust compared to dry blasting. XRD analysis confirmed a significant decrease in crystalline silica content. These findings suggest that RBD palm oil emulsions offer a safer, eco-friendly alternative for industrial blasting operations.

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Published

28-04-2026

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 2 (2026): Special Issue: Mechanical Engineering (Article in Press)

Section

Special Issue 2026: RCIEM2025 (M)

License

Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal of Integrated Engineering

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

 

How to Cite

K. Samsudin, M. I., Zakaria, H., Abdul Rahman, M. F., Mohd Azham Azmi, Suhaimi Hassan, Noorul Azreen Azis, & Ridwan Abdurrahman. (2026). Assessment of RBD Palm Oil-in-Water Emulsion to Reduce Dust Exposure and Crystalline Silica in Abrasive Blasting. International Journal of Integrated Engineering, 18(2), 182-194. https://penerbit.uthm.edu.my/ojs/index.php/ijie/article/view/25149