Making diesel from plastics
A group of seven students from Makerere University College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences together with students from the University of Kentucky, College of Engineering in UK are manufacturing diesel oil from plastics.
The innovation is being piloted at Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyoro (MUARIK) in Wakiso District with promising results.
The students, who produced oil in small quantities, are using it in potable tractors commonly known as Mulimu for various agricultural activities in student farms within MAURIK.
Associate professor Jeffrey Seay from Kentucky University College of Engineering while explaining the process of producing the oil said studies have been conducted in laboratories of a number of universities including University of Leeds.
“The studies were done mainly for research purposes where scientists experimented thermal conversion of plastics to produce a mixture of hydrocarbons. These are found in many places, including crude oil and natural gas. Another study was done by scientists from the University of Ilorin in Nigeria where they decomposed high density plastics. The results showed production of clean diesel oil which can be used in motor vehicles and farm equipment which use diesel oil,” he explained.
Inspiration
He explained that the team of professors from both universities introduced the technology to students after observing people throwing plastics littering the environment yet it does not decompose.
“Looking at the statistics globally, there are more than five trillion plastic pieces weighing more than 250,000 tonnes afloat water bodies.
When the head of CAES Prof Bernard Bashaaha visited the University of Kentucky and saw what the students are doing, we thought of bringing the technology to Uganda with an aim of saving the environment from littered plastics which is a challenge globally,” adding that the technology is not costly.
About the project
It is a one year project billed $50,000 about (Shs168 million) where students will be expected to take up the innovation and implement it for purposes of selling and marketing oil produced.
Commercial farmers are also expected to take on this technology for purposes of producing diesel oil which can be used in farm equipment during ploughing and harvesting.
He explained that there are seven types of plastics namely clear not usable plastics, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics numbered 2,3,4,5 and 6. The ones made out of Carbon and oxygen namely, PVC 2,4,5,6 can be used for producing the oil.
How it works
The students who picked interest in the technology are five from the University of Kenturky and seven from Makerere University.
Denis Omulo, a student pursuing his masters’ degree in Agricultural Engineering at Makerere University, explaining how the oil is processed says it starts with burning of firewood in a rocket stove made out of steel in form of drum.
“The rocked stove containing a hole in the middle is covered with a steel blade which protects the container or processor where plastics are dropped for heating. This is to avoid direct source of energy from the fire because we have a thermometer which we use for measuring the temperature. The recommended one is between 425 - 450 degrees Celsius.
We keep dropping recommended plastics of different types; it could be a broken basin, bottle plastics, plastic spoons, forks and cups used for taking tea in restaurants among others. The heating is continuous depending on what quantity of diesel oil one wants to produce. The major thing to know is that 1 kg of plastics will produce I litre of diesel oil” he explained.
As the stove gets heated, a pipe is connected to a clean bucket containing clean water which is half way. This is to create space for oil to float on top of water which is later filtered by pouring it in a container.
“This oil is much cleaner compared to diesel oil made out crude substance which contains sulphur leading to a lot of smug produced into the atmosphere. We are also mindful of using less firewood to avoid depletion of trees in the environment. The diesel fuel produced can be used by small scale farmers when irrigating their farms with equipment that uses diesel oil for running its operation.
“Apart from using fuel wood, equipment that uses solar energy can be used for heating provided the recommended temperature is attained,” he explained.
