The growing crisis of large volumes of oily wastewater is 821.55 M cubic meters in 2019, for Metro Manila alone. However, FabriKlean becomes a multi-faceted solution for a multifaceted problem. Alliyah Delin, the innovator of FabriKlean: From Waste Cloth to Filter, aims to revolutionize “second-hand” waste from the textile community to a water-resistant filter in Filipino Households.
Alliyah Romaine Delin is a current 5th-year student pursuing her second Bachelor’s degree in Material Science and Engineering. She recently completed her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry last June. Her innovation of FabriKlean was mentored by Dr. Jose Mario Diaz of the Department of Chemistry of Ateneo de Manila University. Her innovation as an undergraduate student dedicated to her vocation of environmental conservation.
FabriKlean is focused on recycling synthetic polyester from old clothes to create a special filter that helps clean up oily wastewater. They use a simple, one-step process with materials inspired by nature and powered by hydrogen peroxide. This not only tackles the problem of oily water but also helps reduce the amount of synthetic polyester ending up in landfills due to fast fashion.
While recycling textiles has been studied before, Alliyah saw potential in synthetic polyester. To make it more water-resistant, she explored ways to change its surface using natural compounds from mussels, along with other materials like Polyethyleneimine (PEI) and Hydrogen Peroxide (H₂O₂). This process allows the material to separate oil from water. FabriKlean’s filter can clean about 101,000 liters of water per square meter each hour, successfully removing around 91.4% of the oil.
Alliyah draws inspiration from her personal experience with a clogged sink caused by grease buildup; she was certain that others had similar experiences. Her dedication to addressing this was fueled by the fact that her community has faced similar challenges and is eager for change—for a solution that she is confident she can bring.
FabriKlean pursues a safe, accessible and easy innovation– Alliyah sourced her synthetic polyester textiles from a lost and found box, materials are commercially available, and the chemical reaction itself [of converting the textile to be water-resistant] is "green" and not as hazardous.
“I really made my [undergraduate] thesis as doable [as possible] in households.” Alliyah’s purpose is to pave a way for an easy, safe, and available solution. FabriKlean is a simple, low-cost innovation; becoming the overall winner of the 2024 SOSE-SVBB Competition for Student Research with the Highest IP Potential.
Image: Alliyah receiving the 2024 SOSE-SVBB Award for Student Research for Highest IP Potential
This exceptional achievement of Alliyah continues to emphasize its application to the industry and the current events of the world–eg. The Bataan Oil spill where 1.5 million liters of oil sank in Limay, Bataan as mentioned by Delin. The Ateneo Intellectual Property Office (AIPO) is currently working with Alliyah in hopes of pursuing her undergraduate thesis as a patent.
As FabriKlean starts to shape its impact on society through repurposing waste materials, which contribute to one issue, to serve as a solution for another challenge, it promises us a future of sustainable practices through innovation.
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