Solution to Handle Non-Recyclable Plastic Waste By IIT Madras Students

 

Solution to Handle Non-Recyclable Plastic Waste By IIT Madras Students

Team Enviro consisting of 5 members from IIT Madras and a student from SSN College of Engineering together have found out a solution to handle non- recyclable plastic waste. A mobile solar-powered pyrolysis unit has been developed by the team for converting plastic into oil. The team said 500 to 700 ml of oil can be produced from 1kg of plastic depending upon the quality of plastic.

Plastic waste was acquired from the Chennai corporation garbage storing center located in Velachery by the Team in order to conduct the experiment. One of the Team members said 800 ml of fuel can be produced by using good quality of virgin plastics.

It takes approximately 90 min for the pyrolysis unit to convert the plastic waste fed in it into oil. generators, motorboats, and irrigation pump set can use the obtained fuel. 5 kg of plastic at a time can be processed by the pyrolysis unit at a time using 3-4 units of power/kg/hour.

Transporting plastic waste are the major problem for large-scale pyrolysis units. A Team member and a research scholar named G.Divya Priya said a mobile transportable unit has

been designed which can be installed in sorting centers at the garbage segregation center. In the burning process, the residue is compressed into light charcoal briquettes which can be reused to run the unit.

Indumathi M. Nambi Mentor of the Team and professor at environmental and Water Resources Engineering Division said briquettes can be used in powering medium and small-scale industrial units. Earlier this year at UN World environment day the unit was demonstrated. Innovation excellence award was won by the team along with funding to come up with a startup at the institute’s research park. NGO ’S, Chennai and Thoothukudi corporation have shown interest in this product already. One of the team members said the proposal for the development of a pilot-scale plant for a municipality or corporation with a daily generation capacity of 250 kg of non-recyclable plastic waste has been submitted.