A 26-year old Filipino aeronautical engineer, Mark Kennedy Bantugon, has developed a material called Pili Seal, a bio-based alternative derived from the agricultural waste of the Pili tree resin.
The material, an aircraft sealant and adhesive, aims to improve workplace safety in the aviation industry and reduce environmental impact while offering a locally sourced, biodegradable option. Bantugon’s innovation has earned him a place as one of the ten global innovators in the Young Inventors Prize 2025, known as Tomorrow Shapers. They were selected from 450 candidates by an independent jury.
For over 50 years, polysulfide-based sealants have been the industry standard for preventing fuel leaks in aircraft. However, they may cause skin and respiratory irritation, and their disposal poses an environmental challenge, especially when heated or burned.
Hence, Pili Seal offers a safer alternative to some toxic petrochemical derived sealants and adhesives, using a by-product of the perfume industry. This two-part sealant and adhesive combines the agricultural waste Pili tree resin with a solvent and hardening agent, providing both sealing and adhesive properties. It withstands fuel exposure, heat and pressure, making it suitable for aircraft fuel tanks and other high-performance applications. The sealant has been thoroughly tested, with four formulations passing industry-standard flammability tests.
Beyond aviation, this invention has the potential to be used in construction, automotive, marine and defense industries, contributing to a circular economy by repurposing 155 million kilograms of agricultural Pili Tree resin waste generated annually in the Philippines, primarily from the perfume and food industries.
A JOURNEY STARTING FROM THE FARM
Bantugon’s early exposure to farm life in Batangas (Philippines) played a crucial role in his innovation journey. As a child, he and his siblings patched leaky roofs using chewing gum, sparking his curiosity about adhesives and sealants. This interest continued into his aeronautical engineering studies, where an internship at Lufthansa Technik Philippines exposed him to the hazards of conventional sealants and adhesives.
Determined to develop a safer and more sustainable alternative, Bantugon experimented with resins from six different trees before selecting Pili tree resin. The resin’s natural stickiness offers ideal adhesive properties, while its fragrant odor makes it easy to work with, especially in confined spaces. Overcoming multiple challenges, he refined 84 different formulations before achieving the final composition. To commercialize his sealant, Bantugon founded Pili AdheSeal Inc. in 2024.
“My mother, a public-school teacher, helped me understand the value of a strong and well-rounded education. My father, as a farmer, introduced me to the farm as a training ground—a place where I learned about different plants, animals, trees, and, most importantly, the potential in waste materials,” Bantugon explained.
The Young Inventors Prize celebrates worldwide innovators 30 and under using technology to address global challenges posed by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By transforming agricultural waste into a high-performance sealant, Mark Kennedy Bantugon is directly contributing to UN SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure).
The prizes of the 2025 edition will be announced during a ceremony livestreamed from Iceland this June 18, 2025.
