Plastics Used to Make Waste Fuel

Waste Fuels from Plastic Products

Plastic has always been seen in a very bad light. This is mainly because plastic is not a material that is easily biodegradable. It ends up being dumped at landfills and it can accumulate, polluting our water systems. In the worst case, plastics are burned. During this process dangerous gases are emitted into the atmosphere.

However, due to the increase in fuel prices research has went into using plastics to find an answer to the worsening problem with oil and fuel resources. This research has led to waste plastic now being turned into fuel. Our garbage has to be sorted through in order to recover the used plastic bags and containers for repurposing. By applying Thermofuel technology to convert plastics into high quality diesel fuel, plastic no longer has to sit at landfills as it can now be put to good use for the environment. The fuel product of the process can be readily used in cars, trucks, buses, trains and even heavy equipment.

It can also be used to power generators. Since there would be no need for engine modifications, switching to waste plastic wouldn’t cost a dime. Another benefit of waste fuel derived from plastics is that they meet all the common standards that are required of diesel fuel. This means that using waste fuel from plastics will not compromise any engine or machine that uses diesel fuel.

In a single day, a thermofuel plant can go through 24 tons of waste plastic. This much plastic can generate up to 22,800 liters of plastic waste fuel. This high production is due to the fact that the thermofuel process can handle most kinds of plastics. It can even utilize plastics that are not suitable for recycling.

To manufacture quality diesel, the thermofuel system uses a variety of procedures. The process begins with the recovered plastics being brought to a pyrolysis chamber. In this chamber, the temperature is raised to melt the plastic. The heat changes the plastic’s physical form and composition. The waste plastic is then converted and separated into three groups: char residue, oil, and gas.

The gas that is produced will be taken to a catalytic converter. The converter will then turn the gas into a distillate fraction or a liquid vapor. This distillate is then cooled in a condenser. Next, it goes through a recovery tank. As the final step, the distillate is separated from contaminants through the use of a centrifuge.

Once the distillate has met the quality standards, the system will pump it into a reserve tank. In this tank, the factory will draw the appropriate amount to power for its own functions, and the rest of the distillate is delivered to storage facilities for future use or distribution.

Unlike the burning of fossil fuels like petroleum, the thermofuel system does not create a lot of gas emissions that contribute to the worsening problem of greenhouse gases. In addition, it actually takes away from the problem of building landfills where even recycling can’t in some instances.

However, thermofuel systems are not yet available worldwide. The technology was developed in Australia where the manufacturers are now selling the technology. They are in the business of “BOT” or Build, Operate, and Transfer after an order has been made.