Petrol from Plastic waste?

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Alka Zadgaonkar - Petrol from Plastic waste
Prof. Alka Zadgaonkar

We human beings are literally beginning to choke on our own plastic consumption. Plastic polymers are used in food wrapping, baby bottles, beverage containers, food containers, shopping bags, children’s toys, house  appliances, computers, cars, and even in clothing. Plastic is a relatively cheap, durable, and versatile material. Resistant to moisture, chemicals, and decay, it has found many uses and has replaced many materials in existing products!
Being a non-biodegradable substance, Plastic is a major toxic pollutant which pollutes the earth, air and water. It should not be allowed to be dumped in landfills. Burning plastic waste will bring disastrous effects to the environment! Recycling plastic is the most practical solution to get rid of plastic waste, but this too is turning out to be more of a myth!

Current status of plastic recycling

According to a nationwide survey conducted in 2003, more than 10,000 metric tons of plastic waste is generated daily in India, and only 40% of it is recycled. Plastic waste contributes to the solid waste streams by about 8-15% by weight and twice that by volume. The annual post-consumer plastic waste volume reached 3.6 million tons in 2005-06. At these alarming levels of waste generation, India needs to prepare for a lot of recycling. Several processes have been attempted till now; however, each process had its drawbacks and economical and financial limitations for practical implementation.

Alka Zadgaonkar Plant - Petrol from Plastic waste
A large proportion of thin sheeting materials and moulded parts, plastic bags are not collected by rag pickers. These small bags /mouldings are soiled and are difficult to clean and they have no value as recycle feed stocks. This unutilized plastic waste remains uncollected and is littered in garbage dumps, often resulting in choking of municipal sewers and storm water drains.
To recycle plastic, for the first time in the country, Prof. Alka Zadgaonkar and her team in Nagpur have done significant work to dispose waste plastic material and thereby convert it into hydrocarbons.

Zadgaonkars’ Process of Petrol from Plastic waste

All plastics are hydrocarbon polymers containing carbon and hydrogen and few other elements such as chlorine, nitrogen etc. When a long chain of hydrocarbon monomers breaks at certain points, it is known as degradation of polymer. This is the reverse of polymerization and when such a process occurs randomly it is called as ‘Random De-Polymerization’.

In Zadgaonkar’s process petrol from plastic waste, random de-polymerization is carried out in a specially designed reactor without oxygen and in the presence of coal and certain catalytic additive. The maximum reaction temperature is 3500C. Thus, there is total conversion of waste plastic into value added fuel products.

Alka Zadgaonkar Lab - Petrol from Plastic waste
Zadgaonkar-lab

This innovative process involves degradation of waste plastic using proprietory ‘catalytic-additives’ invented by Prof. Alka Zadgaonkar and is different from the generally existing pyrolytic processes. The laboratory scale set-up was developed in batch mode in which specific as well as mixed plastic materials were successfully converted into fuels. The products and by products obtained in the process are liquid hydrocarbons, gas and residual coke.
The products of the process
The fuel oil product is a sulphur free equivalent of industrial crude. It can be readily used in furnaces or put through fractional condensation to obtain finer grades like petrol. The gas obtained is a LPG equivalent, which can run a modified genset to generate electricity. This is now standard practice at a Zadgaonkar plant, which is self sufficient for its power. The final remains are a solid fuel called petroleum coke.
Prof. Alka Zadgaonkar and her husband Umesh Zadgaonkar approached the Indian Oil Corporation for commercial production. But after years of delay, they were frustrated and tried other options. With complete faith in the techno-economical feasibility of her invention, Prof. Alka Zadgaonkar decided to go ahead on her own and approached State Bank of India for financial assistance for creating a commercial plant.
The Zadgaonkar couple are currently running a 5 metric ton plant in Nagpur and their fuel is used for running captive power generators in industrial units in and around Nagpur. This invention surely inspires others to develop simple and economically viable technologies for environment friendly disposal of waste plastic.

Reference:
http://www.indiacar.com/infobank/Plastic_fuel.asp
http://www.goodnewsindia.com/index.php/Magazine/story/alkaz/
The Hindu dated 25/09/03 and Central Pollution Control Board Study, 2003

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10 COMMENTS

  1. A very informative article. Ms. Alka Zadgaonkar deserves alll praises and adoration for the path-breaking invention. I reside in Thrissur in Kerala. Waste disposal,particularly plastic,is a challenge to the local government with no solution so far. I wish Dr Zadgaonkar appraoch Keral Chief minister with her proposal to set up such plants in at least big towns.

  2. Excellent information. Thanks for sharing such useful tips with us. I admire the valuable information you offer in your post. It helps me a lot to enhance my knowledge.

  3. Very much informative. I would like to appreciate Prof. Alka Zadgaonkar and her team for their wonderful work.

    Keep exploring about the ecofriendly environment to everyone by your writings priya..

  4. superb work by mrs. Zadgaonkar. and thanx a lot to u also ms.Priyadharshini.b
    If possible pls provide more info on the same topic

  5. Sir,

    The Municipal Solid Waste without plastic composing is very simple, with plastic composing is not possible. The uniqueness of our Automatic Plastic Separation module and its technology to produce bio manure 99.5% plastic free from Municipal Solid Waste, without using chemicals or genetically modified bacteria’s. The plant working last 4 years without discharging liquid waste, no foul smell, and no fly’s on composting time.

    The Plant is very suitable for Biogas and plastic petrol production

    Contact more details

    Joybala.

    09447058008/ ehc joy@gmail.com

  6. respected priya,
    congrats for ur work about the personality who turn plastic to oil. i am a man from kerala(cochin) with all my cells against plastic pollution and protection of nature. but the real dogs, that donkey politicians have hidden agendas to destroy the world by plastics and much more.
    i am sending another web address for ur further writings. or search ( dr. lisa sreejith, calicut NIT) thank u

    http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kozhikode/plastic-waste-burns-to-give-cooking-gas/article4683338.ece

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