Page 54 - Plastics News April 2017
P. 54

IN THE NEWS



          Mobile reactor to convert plastic waste to diesel set to debut



             mobile reactor to convert waste plastic into fuel,    % plastic waste to land-based sites is no longer needed since
          A that usestechnology developed by an India-born      the PTF reactor can be placed aboard vessels engaged in
          chemist, is soon to make its debut in California in a   retrieval of floating plastic wastes and the converted fuels
          demonstration project.                                can be directly used for running these vessels. A statement
                                                                released by the American Chemical Society announcing
          "Using our efficient Plastic to Fuel (PTF) conversion units,
          we are hoping to address the problems of plastics pollution   the upcoming demonstration of PTF reactor at Santa Cruz
          on land and theocean," Swaminathan Ramesh, a product   said: "If we can get people around the world to pick this up
          of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru and   and use it to shift waste plastics to fuel and make money,
          President of Michigan-based EcoFuel Technologies.  Ramesh,   we can even eliminate plastic waste before it gets to the
          whose company developed the PTF units in partnership   oceans by creating value for it locally on a global basis."
          with James Holm, founder of Clean Oceans International,   That plastic stream, it said, "can be diverted from the ocean
          a Santa Cruz, CA, based non-profit, said the goal is to rid   and converted to 20-50 million barrels of liquid fuel annually
          theworld of plastic waste by creating a market for it. The   by the PTF reactors."  India is reportedly among countries
          researchers presented their results on April 3 at the 253rd   that contribute most to plastic debris in the ocean.
          National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical   Kerala, whichgenerates 6,000 tonnes of plastic waste every
          Society (ACS) in San Francisco.  Piling plastic waste poses   day is already toying with the idea of using waste plastics to
          a serious threat to marine life and beaches. According to   make bricks that can be used to make footpaths and pave
          theUnited Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), more   roads. Asked if any recycling industry or government agency
          than eight million tonnes of plastic finds its way into the   in India has shown interest in the PTF technology, Ramesh
                                      oceans annually -- which   said: "I have not had muchsuccess with generating too much
                                      is roughly equivalent     interest in India (I have not tried too hard anyway). I am
                                      to dumping an entire      open to any prospects."
                                      garbage truck of plastic
                                      into the oceans every      Registration must for plastic
                                      minute.  The UNEP had
                                      warned that by 2050,       bag-making in Andhra Pradesh
          "the plastic in our oceans would weigh more than all the
          fish combined".  "Pyrolysis", thetechnology used to break   egistration is mandatory for
          down plastic waste to obtain hydrocarbon-based fuel, has   Rmanufacturers, distributors
          been known for years. But this calls for complex and costly   and sellers of plastic carry bags
          refining steps to make the fuel useable.  Ramesh set out to   from April 1. The manufacturers
          change the game and developed a "metallocene" catalyst   should register themselves  with
          deposited on a porous support material that, coupled   the A.P. Pollution Control Board
          with a controlled pyrolysis reaction, directly yields diesel   and the distributors and sellers
          without further refining. It is also cost-effective on a small   with the GVMC. GVMC Additional
          scale, runs at lower temperatures and is mobile.  "Our   Commissioner (General)  G.V.V.S. Murthy, who held  a
          process -- catalytic thermal depolymerisation technology   meeting  with  officials  and  manufacturers,  said  the
          -- is by catalytic pyrolysisand, by careful management of   registration by paying the prescribed fee was mandatory
          heat transfer and reaction kinetics, we have optimised the   following orders issued by the Central government.
          yields to be around 90 per cent of the desired fuel," Ramesh   Carry bags with less than 50 microns of thickness should
          explained. The key catalyst for the reaction was developed   not be used, he said. Chief Medical Officer (Health) A.
          in his laboratory. Each PTF reactor can convert 100-10,000   Hemant, zone commissioners and assistant medical
          pounds of plastic per day. Storage and transport ofBSE 0.30   officers participated.



        Plastics News | April  2017    54
   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59