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It is said that by 2035, the population of the Earth will reach 8.5 billion, and this will result in higher demand for energy. The main challenge of the oil and fossil fuel industry is to provide the population with more energy. Energy has a major role in human life quality. It fuels economy, delivery of goods, production, household items, and is also needed for maintaining basic services. The main task of petroleum engineers should be to find solutions for closing the gap between supply and demand, implement responsible stewardship in energy production and distribution practices, and improve the quality of life for the growing population.
A recent review on the Smart Planet website[1] has revealed that Japanese researchers developed a process that transforms non-biodegradable plastic bags into crude oil. Indeed, several biologists have attempting creating synthetic fuel to fulfill the demand for energy sources around the world. However, the aim should be to produce petroleum and synthetic fossil fuel that has a lower energy consumption and higher effectiveness, while it produces lower amount of CO2 than other fossil fuels. In 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency awarded the Greener Synthetic Pathways Award to Genomatica: a company that developed 1,4-Butanediol (BDO). The invention is unique, as the production of this synthetic fuel is proven to be less expensive than petroleum or natural gas extraction. At the same time, the company has made it possible to reduce CO2 emission by 70 percent and increase efficiency. As creating high commodity chemicals from synthetic materials is just around the corner, people would think that synthetic petroleum or gas development and research is advanced, too. Clean Technica’s invention to turn plastic bags into fuel (Smart Planet Website) seems promising. However, the process is designed to be operated on a small scale. Indeed, the machine can be installed in homes, but there is no larger version available for large scale production. Given that – according to the article – the production of fuel does not pollute the air, it could easily be turned into a technology. Even if oil companies do not engage in the new process, some larger companies looking to make their operations more effective and greener could benefit from the installation or a larger scale machine at their plant. A company called Envion, located in Washington D.C. already has one of the industrial scale machines. They are able to convert up to 10.000 tonnes of plastic bag into crude oil each year.
According to the experiments of Blest.co Ltd, several non biodegradable materials could be turned into crude oil. 1000 g of DVD cases can produce 1010 milliliters of oil, with an oil ratio of over 80 percent. 600 grams of toy cases, on the other hand, can create 700 milliliters of the same fuel, with an oil ratio of 93 percent. However, when assessing the technologies, it is also important to review the amount of residue created. Turning plastic bags into fuel results in an oil ratio of only 71.5 percent, and there is 64 grams of Hydrocarbon Gas residue produced.
It is evident that the technology is not completely clean: there is a residue that need to be disposed of. How much it would cost to dissolve gases into water, and how it would affect the environment is a topic for a new research. Another question is: what happens to the gases produced? The company confirmed that “while methane, ethane, propane and butane gasses are released in the process, the machine is equipped with an off-gas filter that disintegrates these gases into water and carbon”. Indeed, disintegration of gases is the best solution, however, the fact that they are produced during the process makes many green activists question whether the new technology is really “green”.
Hopefully, scientists of today and the future will find a way to make the above described processes greener, more effective, while reducing the environmental impact of not only fuel production, but also the landfills created by the disposal of non biodegradable materials. Research carried out in the Earth and Mineral Sciences department, in collaboration with the Institute for Natural Gas Research Penn State program could further develop alumni projects that advance research and make creating greener fuel in a greener and more cost-effective way. The graduate education and research programs supported by the Earth and Mineral Sciences department’s labs and in the Joint Center for Energy Research can help revealing the way forward.
Resources
Smart Planet website. http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/thinking-tech/new-invention-turns-plastic- bags-into-oil/
[1] Smart Planet website. “New invention turns plastic bags into oil”. Februrary 11. 2011. Online.
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