Joshi, C., University of Kentucky College of Engineering
Plastic waste around the globe has become a massively detrimental issue that can lead to health complications and destruction of the environment. Studies and prior experimentation suggest that thermally decomposing plastic will cause the carbon bonds to break apart and form a fuel oil similar in composition to diesel. Using a low-cost and simple processor called the Trash-to-Tank (3T) processor developed by the University of Kentucky Appropriate Technology and Sustainability (UKATS) Research Team, waste plastic can be converted into fuel, known as Plastic Derived Fuel Oil (PDFO) and sold as a diesel alternative. The 3T processor has been specifically designed to be appropriate for underdeveloped regions where access to sophisticated literature are often lacking. Lab scales tests conducted by UKATS has shown the PDFO to have, on average, the same lower heating value as standard number 2 diesel fuel with lower CO2 emissions and no SOx emissions.
The 3T process has been implemented in Uganda and has the potential to provide a low-cost way for rural communities in developing regions to take ownership of the waste plastic accumulating in their communities. Feedback from case study participants in Uganda have expressed concern for the lack of recognition and demand for PDFO, especially in remote areas of the country. To ease the minds of consumers and also ensure the fuel meet all appropriate regulatory requirements for use as a motor vehicle fuel in Uganda, emissions testing has been commissioned from the Ugandan Bureau of Standards.
Current challenges with the 3T process arise from the heating source being biomass-dependent and difficult to operate. A current propane-heated 3T process is ready to be tested and implemented, and plans for case studies corresponding with this new model are underway in Central and South America with designs for electrically-heated 3T processors underway.
