Microwave pyrolysis - a new technology for recycling waste
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Plastic-aluminum laminate packaging - most people will say that they have not heard about such packages, but almost everyone faced it in their daily lives. Such a package has been used for a long time to produce tubes for toothpaste, but in recent years they have been actively used for drinks, food or animal feed.
Now this type of packaging is in third place, after aluminum and plastic bottles. The only thing that distinguishes laminate packaging from other types of packaging is the absence of a sign about the possibility of recycling.
But for manufacturers it is plastic-aluminum laminate packaging is extremely attractive, as it requires little energy for its production, it has low weight, which reduces transportation costs, in addition, this type of packaging protects well from light and negative external factors.
Every year the popularity of this type of packaging increases by 10-15%, since there are no real reasons to refuse this type of packaging.
It is worth noting that in the UK, more than 170,000 tons of laminate are used every year to produce such a package, while 17,000 tons of aluminum goes underground.
The idea to recycle such a package arose from Dr. Carlos Ludlow-Palafox of Cambridge University. Back in 1997, the professor heard a story about how in a microwave oven a roll with bacon was overtaken, which turned food into red coals. In the microwave oven, a process of pyrolysis occurred, which provoked microwave radiation. Under the influence of high temperatures, organic materials decomposed. In the pyrolysis process, the release of the metal that forms part of the material occurs.
The work of Carlos began with the fact that he put a granulated coal and a piece of laminate packaging into an ordinary microwave oven, after which the air inside the furnace was replaced with nitrogen. Then he switched on the furnace at full power (1.2 kW), after about 2 minutes, after the temperature inside the furnace reached 600 ° C, the laminate began to separate into oils, gaseous carbons and aluminum flakes.
Now, after 15 years, researchers decided to test the way at the plant in Luten, which is in the UK. The plant uses a principle that is similar to that of an ordinary microwave oven, with the only difference being that the capacity of the factory furnace is 150 kW.
The whole process, which allows you to convert the packaging into aluminum and hydrocarbons takes three minutes, without any toxic emissions into the atmosphere. The aluminum thus obtained can be used for further remelting, and hydrocarbons for fuel production.
This waste processing plant is partly sponsored by large food giants, and is already fully ready to begin work on processing laminated packaging. According to estimates, the plant will be able to process more than 2,000 tons of packaging per year, while it is fully self-contained, generating enough energy. In addition, an agreement has already been concluded with the manufacturers of plastic-aluminum laminate packaging for the processing of industrial waste, while the price of sending to the processing plant for the producers will be less than the cost of sending to the dump.
The work of researchers does not stop there. The Carlos Group is already testing various materials, exposing them to the method of microwave pyrolysis.
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