Fuel
from Plastics Waste
A
Breakthrough Invention
Work
involves use of postconsumer waste of plastics and other polymeric
materials to produce fuel at a cheaper cost.
Introduction
Plastics have become an integral part and parcel of our
lives due to its economic value, easy availability, easy processability,
light-weight, durability and energy efficiency, besides other benefits.
Though many products made out of plastics are meant for long term
durable use, there are many other plastic products, which are made
for one time or short term use. Many of the plastics packaging materials
fall under this category.
Since plastics are re-usable and recyclable, there should not have
been any problem of disposal of plastic waste. However, due to poor
littering habits and inadequate waste management system/ infrastructure,
plastics waste management/ disposal continues to be a major problem
for the civic authorities, especially in the urban areas. Although
various steps have already been either taken or initiated by the Government
and the legal/civic authorities to reduce the problem of this waste
management, an innovative invention by Prof. Alka Umesh Zadgaonkar
of the Department of Applied Chemistry, G. H. Raisoni College of Engineering,
Nagpur, Maharashtra, has created a hope to tackle this problem more
easily and in an environment-friendly manner. She has invented a catalyst
system, which converts polymeric materials into liquid, solid and
gaseous fuel. Prof. Zadgaonkar has been working continuously on this
invention since more than last ten years and is now joined by her
husband Dr. Umesh Zadgaonkar for manufacturing the fuel on a commercial
scale. Basically there are four different ways of recycling plastics:
1. Primary Recycling: Conversion of waste plastics into products
having performance level comparable to that of original products made
from virgin plastics
2. Secondary Recycling: Conversion of waste plastics into products
having
less demanding performance requirements than the original material
3. Tertiary Recycling: The process of producing chemicals /
fuels / similar products from waste plastics.
4. Quaternary Recycling: The process of recovering energy from
waste plastics by incineration.
Prof. Zadgaonkar’s invention deals with the tertiary recycling.
Her work involves use of post-consumer waste of plastics and other
polymeric materials to produce fuel at a cheaper cost. The invented
process has two major benefits:
....contd.
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