A process developed by researchers at Ohio State University, US, could improve the efficiency of using plastics and agricultural waste as feedstocks for the production of syngas, a precursor for materials such as formaldehyde and methanol.
Using simulations, the researchers believe that their process, known as chemical looping, could produce high-quality syngas in a more efficient manner than other similar chemical techniques. The system comprises two reactors: a moving bed reducer where waste is broken down using oxygen provided by metal oxide material, and a fluidized bed combustor that replenishes the lost oxygen so that the material can be regenerated. The simulation showed that with this waste-to-fuel system, the reactors could run up to 45% more efficiently and still produce about 10% cleaner syngas than other methods. The research 'Low Carbon Formaldehyde Generation from Chemical Looping Gasification of Heterogeneous Solid Waste' was published in the journal Energy and Fuels.
Ishani Karki Kudva, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in chemical and biomolecular engineering at Ohio State said: “Altogether, this refined process saves energy and is safer for the environment. We use syngas for important chemicals that are required in our day-to-day life, so improving its purity means that we can utilize it in a variety of new ways.”
This system aims to use municipal solid waste, particularly plastics and lignocellulosic biomass, such as corn cob, to produce high-purity syngas, which can then be used as a valuable feedstock for formaldehyde generation.
This latest work builds on years of previous research at Ohio State University, which used chemical looping technology to turn fossil fuels, sewer gas and coal into hydrogen, syngas and other useful products. The researchers note that their project’s design is just one of many in the chemical sector being driven by the urgent need for more sustainable technologies. The research could also help reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
“There has been a drastic shift in terms of what was done before and what people are trying to do now in terms of decarbonizing research,” said Shekhar Shinde, co-author of the study and a doctoral student in chemical and biomolecular engineering at Ohio State University.
The US Environmental Protection Agency has said that 35.7 million tons of plastics were generated in the U.S. in 2018, of which about 12.2% is municipal solid waste, such as plastic containers, bags, appliances, furniture, agricultural residue, paper and food. The team says that its technology has the potential to handle multiple types of materials at once by continuously blending the conditions needed to convert them.
The researcher team have said that with more data from, they eventually hope to test the system’s market capabilities by conducting experiments over a longer time frame with other unique components.
“Expanding the process to include the municipal solid waste that we get from recycling centres is our next priority. The work in the lab is still going on with respect to commercializing this technology and decarbonizing the industry.” Kudva added.
Plastic waste and pollution is at the heart of the sustainability discussion. However, it is only recently that the global impact of plastic pollution was set out with researchers from Leeds University, UK, releasing a study last year detailing the ‘first global inventory of plastic pollution.’ The research also indicated that during 2020 an estimated 30 million tonnes of plastic was burned without any environmental controls in place. The researchers highlighted that burning plastic comes with ‘substantial’ threats to human health, including neurodevelopmental, reproductive, and birth defects.
During November 2024, SCI convened academia, business and policy makers, at its 2024 Where Science Meets Business event to discuss the paths being taken to find a resolution to the plastics problem, amongst other pressing sustainability issues.
Further reading:
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• Global plastic treaty negotiations fail to reach agreement
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