CQU collectively calls for an end to plastic pollution this World Environment Day
Plastic pollution permeates every corner of the planet and CQUniversity is doing its bit in a number of ways to help reduce it.
This World Environment Day (Thursday, June 6) – as calls are being made for collective action to tackle plastic pollution – we’re spotlighting a research project that is tackling the problem head-on.
As a key partner of the Solving Plastic Waste Cooperative Research Centre (SPW CRC), CQUniversity is working on a collaborative research project that aims to transform the way plastic products are recycled.
“Our project is related to pyrolysis process optimisation and control system development for improving the product quality,” project lead Professor Mohammad Rasul explained.
“Pyrolysis is a thermo-chemical conversion process to convert waste into energy products. In this process, waste plastics are heated at temperatures ranging from 300 to 900 degrees Celsius or higher in some cases, with restricted or zero supply of oxygen to produce energy-containing products like oil, char and syngas (synthetic gas).”
Prof Rasul said the project aims to maximise the recovery and value of end-of-life plastics.
“Soft plastics – polyolefins – represent 43 per cent of the plastics used in Australia,” he explained.
“They are overrepresented in the plastics waste stream because they are typically used in applications where the product has a short lifetime, for example, as soft plastic packaging,” he said.
“Soft plastic waste streams containing polyolefins that cannot be mechanically recycled, because they are too contaminated or part of problematic multilayer films, can be thermo-chemically converted to produce oils using pyrolysis process which can be used to make virgin polyolefins.”
Led by Professor Rasul, alongside colleagues Dr Ashfaque Chowdhury, Dr Nur Hassan and Dr Jahirul Islam, the research team is developing reactor models to optimise process efficiency and enhance both the yield and value of the oil.
“This project aims to provide technical support for the diversion of large quantities of soft waste plastics from landfill.
“We are working with our partners to ensure this important project is successfully achieved.”
