Page 70 - Plastics News July 2019

iN the News

In a first, Lucknow gets road Professor makes Petrol from

constructed using plastic waste Plastic

n a first, the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) Hyderabad-based mechanical engineer has done
Iis constructing a road using plastic waste. The road is A wonders by making petrol out of used plastic and
constructed from Gomti Nagar Police Station to Indian now he is selling it at Rs 40 per litre. Satish Kumar, a
Institute of Management (IIM) under a pilot project by LDA 45-year-old mechanical engineer and professor based in
in the state’s capital. Chief Engineer Indushekhar Singh Hyderabad, has devised a way to make petrol. Professor
said, “Mixing plastic waste increases roads’ durability by Satish Kumar had founded a company registered with
the ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises
made petrol with the help of a three step process known
as plastic pyrolysis. “The process helps recycle plastic
into diesel, aviation fuel and petrol. About 500-kg of
non-recyclable plastic can produce 400 litres of fuel. It
is a simple process which requires no water and doesn’t
release wastewater. Neither does it pollute the air as
This process of depolymerisation is safe, controllable
and non-polluting, Satish claims. The process has also
40-50 per cent, they will be durable for a longer time. been approved by the Pollution Control Board (PCB),
Around 8-10 per cent of plastic waste is being mixed in as a viable method. the process happens in a vacuum,”
coal tar.” Singh said that LDA has followed guidelines Kumar said.
of the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) in road Professor Satish has converted 50 tonnes of ‘end-life’
construction.
plastic which can’t be recycled into petrol and at his
“On world environment day, we had declared that we present his company is producing 200 litre of petrol a
will use plastic in road construction in future,” he said. day out 200 kg of plastic and the company sells it to the
“Mixing plastic waste increases durability parameters local industries for Rs 40 to 50 a litre. The fuel is being
of roads by 40-50 per cent, they will be more durable used by industries, but it is yet to be tested whether it
and will stay in good condition for a longer time. We use
less than 50-micron plastic,” Chief Engineer added. The
plastic waste material is first shredded to a particular size
using a shredding machine. The aggregate mix is heated
at 165°c and transferred to the mixing chamber, and the
bitumen is heated to 160°c to result in good binding. It is
important to monitor the temperature during heating. The
shredded plastic waste is then added to the aggregate.
It gets coated uniformly over the aggregate within 30 to
60 seconds, giving an oily look. The plastic waste coated
aggregate is mixed with hot bitumen and the resulting mix
is used for road construction. The road laying temperature works in vehicles. Except for Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
is between 110°c to 120°c. The roller used has a capacity and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), all other kind of
of 8 tons. Singh said LDA will do more research on this plastics can used to make petrol and no segregation.
experiment road in the next two years to know if there “Our main aim behind starting this plant is to help
can be some improvement. LDA’s initiative is inspired by the environment. We are not expecting commercial
the success of roads in many foreign countries. In India benefits. We are only trying to do our bit to ensure a
too, many civic bodies have started road construct using cleaner future. We are ready to share our technology
plastic waste in an environmental-friendly experiment. with any interested entrepreneur,” he said.

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