Can we remake plastic waste into a rocket fuel?

[escksu]

So we solve mitigate one problem (plastic waste) by adding to another one (CO2 buildup).
Got it!

Read my post, then you will know recycling plastic is even worse than burning.

 

[escksu]

The problem with plastics is not the CO2 created during production, its the fact that it takes ages for it to get rid off. Micro plastic pollution is a major issue. I'm no chemist so I don't know if burning plastic completely destroys it, but if it does it might actually be a good option.

[/QUOTE]

Check out how 1 tiny nation in south east asia tackles this problem. ITs a brilliant solution which everyone should consider.

https://stateofgreen.com/en/partner...and-used-water-in-a-singaporean-mega-project/

 

[Frgirard]

How much does your supermarket plastic bags weight?

How much gasoline do you burn in your way to the supermarket? (Compare with the previous number)

How much gasoline would you need for the same trip if your car didn't have any plastic (includes composite) parts? (Compare with the previous number)

It is just an example, but very representative, think about it

The plastic is every where. Car, house, hospital.. Not only in supermarket.
Your electronic gears are full of plastic.

 

[mhardy6647]

 

[lord45]

We`ve got tons of plastic waste all around the globe that pollute our environment. Remake it into rocket fuel might help us in plastic pollution that became a real issue for all countries.

 

[audio2design]

This makes no sense. Just incinerate it and extract the energy if you want to use it as fuel. At least then you are burning in an environment where you can monitor/clean the emissions, even do carbon sequester.

 

[audio2design]

The lowest carbon option for disposable cups is Styrofoam. Paper bags at the supermarket have far more embodied energy (CO2/waste) than a plastic bag. It is not even close.

 

[FrantzM]

We`ve got tons of plastic waste all around the globe that pollute our environment. Remake it into rocket fuel might help us in plastic pollution that became a real issue for all countries.

Most of the fuel from a rocket is burned in earth atmosphere .. Plus the cost and carbon footprint of this transformation process itself...

Kind of pointless IMO.

 

[Wes]

burning plastic might be more environmentally friendly than recycling

I will need to see a partial life cycle analysis to verify any other claims - a bald stmt. by an unknown entity on the internet is inadequate.

 

[audio2design]

burning plastic might be more environmentally friendly than recycling

I will need to see a partial life cycle analysis to verify any other claims - a bald stmt. by an unknown entity on the internet is inadequate.

Right now, I think the claim that burning is better than recycling is a hard one to make, but the market for recycled raw plastic is not high, but on the other hand, all forms of burning and gassification also need a steady and well understood supply. Pyrolysis has promise. Low temp incineration releases pollutants other than CO2, high temp gassification requires a more stable feed stock. Lower temp pyrolysis seems the long term way but still early. However, if you burn and you have good emissions controls and you look at carbon sequester, that may be suitable too. Most comparisons gloss over too many of the assumptions.

 

[mhardy6647]

Just out of curiosity -- did "we" factor in the energetics and the environmental "costs" (so to speak) of converting the hydrocarbons in plastic into rocket fuel in "our" enthusiastic claims of the environmental friendliness of this approach vis-a-vis recycling plastic... or of just dumping it in a pit and setting it ablaze?

The "problem" that this plastic-to-rocket-fuel approach seeks to solve, as best I can understand it, is to get rid of (so to speak) the huge quantity of dumped plastic that is neither recycled nor incinerated, and (currently) just ends up in the environment -- i.e., those floating islands of plastic in the Pacific, and/or just the nigh-on eternal microspheres of plastic that are now ubiquitous in the environment on this planet.

Endeavoring to solve one of earth's problems by performing chemical transformation on our waste and then dumping it someplace else (e.g., the stratosphere and/or near-earth space) seems like a very human thing to do (and I don't mean that as a complimet to our species).

 

[Frgirard]

The end of the oil era is near. see IEA forecasts
The plastic is everywhere in our life. The plastic recycling is an absolute necessity. We don't know do without.

 

[Wes]

Right now, I think the claim that burning is better than recycling is a hard one to make, but the market for recycled raw plastic is not high, but on the other hand, all forms of burning and gassification also need a steady and well understood supply. Pyrolysis has promise. Low temp incineration releases pollutants other than CO2, high temp gassification requires a more stable feed stock. Lower temp pyrolysis seems the long term way but still early. However, if you burn and you have good emissions controls and you look at carbon sequester, that may be suitable too. Most comparisons gloss over too many of the assumptions.

We are drowning in piles of plastic waste, so something has to be done with it.

The disposal of existing plastics is a different issue than creating more plastics for use as fuels.

 

[DWPress]

I've always thought that maybe recycling/amalgamating plastics into big lego blocks would be cool, I mean blocks bigger than concrete blocks for home construction. Could have various blocks for lighting, plumbing and electrical runs built in. Solve housing shortages and clean the environment at the same time. Lot's more to it, I know, but still a cool idea especially if you like legos!

 

[lord45]

The high-grade kerosene is also called as ecosene. This new kind of rocket fuel has already been tested and the result of the test has shown that it`s 1% - 3% better than kerosene by its energy characteristics. But I am not sure if it`s possible to use the new rocket fuel in long space journeys.

 

[lord45]

Although, the alternative rocket fuel also called green fuel can be remade only from particular types of plastic.The following types of plastic can be converted into ecosene fuel: Polypropylene (PP). Polyester (PE). Polystyrene (PS) and its mixtures and analogs

 

[escksu]

I've always thought that maybe recycling/amalgamating plastics into big lego blocks would be cool, I mean blocks bigger than concrete blocks for home construction. Could have various blocks for lighting, plumbing and electrical runs built in. Solve housing shortages and clean the environment at the same time. Lot's more to it, I know, but still a cool idea especially if you like legos!

Almost good.... Except plastics is known to deteoriate over time and turn into microplastic.

 

[eas]

I thought rockets were using oxygen and hydrogen

Rockets use all sorts of propellants. Solid propellants using synthetic rubber + oxidizer are common.

Among liquid fuels, RP-1 (kerosene) is popular due to volumetric energy density and the fact that it is liquid at room temperature and so avoids the cryogenic temperatures needed for liquified gasses, like hydrogen. Liquid hydrogen has better energy/weight, though, which, I think, recommends it for use in upper stages. Other liquid gasses, like methane are also used.

The history of rocketry includes some very very nasty (in terms of toxicity and instability) propellants. Hydrazine is still in common use for maneuvering thrusters used out of the atmosphere. For a time in the 40s and 50s hydrazine + fuming nitric acid saw some use.

 

[escksu]

Most of the fuel from a rocket is burned in earth atmosphere .. Plus the cost and carbon footprint of this transformation process itself...

Kind of pointless IMO.

The rockets we launch and the fuel burnt is actually nothing compared to vehicles on the road and the fumes from factories. ITs also nothing compared to the amount of "waste" fuel we burnt everyday in refineries. You can check out gas flaring and see how much hydrocarbons are burnt off everyday. These have no commercial value and hence burnt away.

 

[mhardy6647]

It was a bit jarring to drive through "that part" of New Jersey two weeks ago on the Tpk and to see gas flares burning... in 2021.
Heck, there's a capped landfill not 6 miles from where I sit as I type this which burns off methane 24/7.