Page 63 - Plastics News June 2017

IN THE NEWS

Bhopal student develops fuel India needs to re-ignite

from Plastic innovation to scale new heights
nspired from his guides for waste management, Vijesh in manufacturing

IVerma, a research scholar of MANIT has come up with a
method of developing fuel out of plastic. In four years, he ndia, with its distinctive demographic dividend,
succeeded in making fuel out of plastic which is not only Ienormous market potential and rising disposable
environment-friendly in comparison to petrol and diesel income, is on its way to becoming a major economic
force in the world. However, this would definitely be
but is also 80 per cent cheaper a formidable task and would call for proactive actions
than the available methods. as the competition from its regional counterparts,
He started with researching especially countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and
the available literature and Pakistan, is ever increasing. Over the past three-four
methods used in the world decades, India has fared reasonably well in areas like
to obtain fuel from plastic. information and technology, power, urbanisation,
He also built his own reactor education, agriculture and defence. Yet, one element
for conducting experiments. that is conspicuous by its absence in these domains is
“The methods used worldwide innovation. According to the latest Global Innovation
are very expensive and also it Index 2016, India ranks 66th among a total number of 140
is not possible to use those methods for long term fuel countries. Further, India’s R&D spending of $ 66 billion in
generation. The method with which I have obtained the 2015 (0.9 percent of
fuel is not just cheap but also environment-friendly. its GDP) is woefully
Petrol and diesel emit a lot of carbon monoxide, wthich infinitesimal, both
is also emitted in lesser amount from this fuel. This will by absolute norms
also solve the problem of polythene waste,” he said. The and when compared
method uses other ingredients too along with plastic to to China’s $ 409
develop fuel. “The method yields solid, liquid and gas, billion in the same
the maximum amount out of which is of liquid, the fuel,” year. The more
explained Vijesh. worrying fact for
India is that three-
Vijesh has also used the solid byproduct for making shoe fourth of its total R&D investment is made by the
shiner, lubricating oil and scented candles. “The gas government and the contribution of the private sector
has not been tested yet,” he said adding, “the fuel has companies is abysmally low as seen in the past few
been tested in both petrol and diesel engines and it has years. One of the primary reasons for lack of innovation
proved successful.” The research has been awarded in is that most of the Indian companies are risk-averse and
three international conferences for its viability. “The are threatened by a feeling of insecurity when it comes
judges in the international conferences have tested the to innovation and R&D. As a result, in the last 60 years
fuel,” he said.The research was conducted under the or more, India has failed to produce a single ground
guidance of Savita Dixit (professor and HOD, department breaking innovative idea that made a notable economic
of chemistry) and Gajendra Dixit (professor, department impact. On the other hand, smaller countries like
of mechanical engineering). Vijesh adds that, the method Switzerland and Finland have consistently topped the
can successfully solve the problem of polythene waste, Global Innovation charts with relatively limited resources
can be used as a fuel instead of petrol and diesel and can and market potential. Therefore, it is unfortunate to
save environment to a great extent. see that at all levels of the Indian industry pyramid –
from the unorganised enterprises to listed companies
“There is no effective and inexpensive solution to the – innovation has become almost extinct.However, a
problem of polythene waste in the world but this is recent UN report on Most Innovative Countries in the
possible now and the best thing is that India will be World stated that India has all the ingredients needed
the first country to have such a method which can use to become a global driver of innovation. Therefore,
waste polythene for producing something so useful,” what we need is to collaborate and explore this hidden
Verma believed. opportunity to strive for ‘manufacturing excellence’.

63 June 2017 | Plastics News