Hong Kong Student Science Project Competition 2006

Plastic Fuel
Carmel Pak U Secondary School

Oil Price

Domestic Waste

Landfill Burden

Landfill: Ta Kwu Ling

Landfill: Tuen Mun

Landfill: Tseung Kwan O

Covering 1/400 of HK 17,500 tones of solid wastes are disposed of everyday Landfill sites will be FULL in 6 to 10 years
http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/waste/prob_solutions/msw_nent.html

Are there any new solutions?

Plastic Fuel

Alleviate Landfill Burden

Reduce Dependence On
Fossil Fuels

Conserve Natural Resources

Aims
Convert wastes into fuels

Presentation
Part 2 Part 1
Catalytic Cracking Part 3

Methodology

Theory

Practical Fractional Distillation Issue

Catalytic Cracking

Cracking
Liquid Alkanes Polypropene Gaseous Alkenes

Sand Brick
Part 1 Theory

Catalyst

Steel Wool

Catalytic Cracking

Plastic Samples Catalyst

Part 1 Theory

Catalytic Cracking

Part 1 Theory

Test using Br2

Testing Gaseous Alkenes Using Br2(aq)

Part 1 Theory

Fractional Distillation

Part 1 Theory

Fractions of liquid products

Fraction 1

Fraction 2

Part 1 Theory

Fraction 3

Fraction 4

End of Part 1
Fraction 5

Part 1 Theory

Presentation
Comparison with fossil fuels

Plastic Samples
Catalyst Samples

Part 2
Methodology
Experiments conducted

Part 1
Petrol Engine

Part 3 Practical Issue

Theory

Plastic Samples
Polyethene (PE) Polypropene (PP)

Plastic Samples
Part 2 Methodology

Polypropene (PP) Products

Drinking Straws

Trays and containers

Part 2 Methodology

Polyethene (PE) Products

Plastic Bags

Wrappings

Part 2 Methodology

Catalyst Samples

Sandbrick

Iron Wool
Part 2 Methodology

Conversion
PP : Higher % conversion
% Conversion

% Conversion of Different Plastics to Alkanes & Alkenes Using Sand Brick as Catalyst 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 PP (Drinking Straw) PE (Parkn Shopping Bag) PE (White Rubbish Bag) PP (Plastic Cup) PE (Wrapping Bag)

Highest Conversion %

93.2%
Part 2 Methodology

Plastic Samples

Comparison of Plastic Fuels and Fossil Fuels

Aluminium foil Soot

Tests for Plastic Fuel

Enthalpy

Crucible
Petrol Engine Part 2 Methodology

Soot
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Mass of soot formed for different samples of liquid alkanes & petroleum

Less soot was produced by plastic fuels

Mass of soot (mg/g)

Fraction 1 Boiling Point 75-90

Fraction 2 Boiling Point 125-135

Fraction 3 Boiling Point 160-180

Fraction 4 Boiling Point 220-240

Petrol

Kerosene

Diesel (Commercial)

Different liquid alkanes and petroleum

Comparison of Plastic Fuels and Fossil Fuels

Thermometer
Soot

Tests Can Aluminiumfor Plastic Fuel

Enthalpy

Petrol Engine Part 2 Methodology

Crucible

Enthalpy
1.4

Enthalpy of combustion of different sample of liquid alkanes and petroleum

1.2 Enthalpy change (kJ/g) [negative]

Plastic fuels & fossil fuels had similar enthalpy of combustion

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
Fraction 1 Boiling Point 7090 Fraction 2 Boiling Point 125-135 Fraction 3 Boiling Point 160-180 Fraction 4 Boiling Point 220-240 Petrol Kerosene Diesel (Commercial)

Different liquid alkanes and petroleum

Comparison of Plastic Fuels and Fossil Fuels

Soot

Tests for Plastic Fuel

Enthalpy

Petrol Engine Part 2 Methodology

Performance of Plastic Fuel in Petrol Engine

Petrol Engine

Part 2 Methodology

Plastic Fuels as substitutes for fossil fuels

Plastic Fuel (Fraction) Fossil Fuel

3
Kerosene

4
Diesel

5
Heavy Oils

End of Part 2
Petrol
Part 2 Methodology

Presentation
Trash Tax

Source Separation

Part 2
Methodology
Cost Calculation

Part 1

Part 3 Practical Issue

Theory
Survey

Cost Calculation
Price (HK $ /g) Caltex Petrol (8/4/2006) Fraction 1 (Plastic Fuel) Fraction 2 (Plastic Fuel)
Part 3 Practical Issue

0.0195 (tax included)

0.0109 (tax excluded)

0.0106
0.0115

How can we do it ?

Part 3 Practical Issue

Survey
1. Are there any recycling bins in your buildings? 2. Have your ever used the recycling bins?
Question 1 19%

Yes No
9%

Question 2

Yes No No comment

81%

32% 59%

Part 3 Practical Issue

 3. The present recycled materials are paper, aluminium cans and plastic bottles etc. If plastic products are able to be converted into fuels, will thus raise your interest in using the recycling bin?
Question 3 18% Yes No

Part 3 Practical Issue

82%

Trash Tax

Sharing of the cost of operation and production of plastic fuel

Part 3

Reduction of the use of plastic bags

Practical Issue

Public Education

Part 3 Practical Issue

Recycling scheme

Plastic Fuel Tree

Valuable Plastic Fuel

Part 3

Plastic Waste

Practical Issue

Acknowledgement
Chak Sang Motor Service Sun Kee Motor Car Body TVB ATV Information Service Department, HKSAR Environmental Protection Department

Reference
Nnamso S. Akpanudoh, Karishma Gobin and George Manos, Catalytic Degradation of Plastic Waste to Liquid Fuel over Commercial Cracking Catalysts, Effect of Polymer to Catalyst Ratio/Acidity Content, Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical, Volume 235, Issues 1-2 , 1 July, 2005 T.Yoshinaga, M, Yamaye T. Kito, T. Ichiki, M. Ogata, J.Chen ,H. Fujino, T. Tanimura, T.Yamanobe, Alkaline dechlorination of PVC in organic solvents under mild conditions, Kyushu Institute of Tech., Kyushu Kyoritsu Uni., Kitakyushu City Institute of Environmental Sci., Gunma Uni., Yamahuchi Prefectural Research Institute of Public Health, Feb., 2004

The End

Thank You