Creating Energy From Plastic Waste
Since the invention of plastic, many scientists, researchers, and manufacturers have found uses for it in all industries, and these uses continue to grow.
One of the discoveries showed that plastic can be used to generate electricity and fuels during a range of different processes, meaning that valuable materials could be recovered from plastic waste to create valuable products.
So, how is plastic turned into electricity and fuels?
Cold Plasma Pyrolysis
This is a method of thermal decomposition used to recover valuable materials and convert plastic waste into electricity and fuels such as hydrogen, methane, and ethylene. Hydrogen and Methane can be used as clean fuels as they produce minimal amounts of carbon dioxide and ethylene is found within most plastic materials.
During this process, plastic waste is heated at 400-650 degrees in an environment with limited oxygen and produces highly energetic electrons that can break down the chemical bonds in plastic waste in a matter of seconds.
Hydrothermal Processing
During this process, polypropylene is placed in a reactor filled with water and heated at 380-500 degrees for up to 5 hours. Due to the high heat and pressure, the water breaks down the plastic and converts it into oil.
Photoreforming
During this process, a light-absorbing photocatalyst (this is a material that absorbs sunlight and transforms it into chemical energy) is added to plastic products. When this combination of plastic and the catalyst is placed in an alkaline solution exposed to sunlight, the materials will be broken down producing bubbles of hydrogen gas in the process.
What are the Advantages of Converting Plastic Waste into Fuel?
- Low cost.
- The plants that convert plastic waste into fuel use combustible materials that are either hard to recycle or non-recyclable, which prevents them from ending up in landfills.
- The fuels that are produced can be tailored to specific needs.
- The plastic waste can be burned with a lower carbon footprint than fossil fuels.
At Rayda Plastics, we create bespoke plastic products from extrusion to fit your requirements. For further information about our process or any general plastic enquiries, please contact us today.
