The reason you don't see it being used vary often is 3-fold.
...
1. It has a negative energy potential. It takes more energy to do the conversion than the oil produced will provide. This means that you burn more petrochemicals (natural gas, coal, diesel) at power plants to generate the power to run the conversion process than you would ever get from the plastic.
2. It is incredibly expensive to dispose of the waste products. Once you remove the oil, you are left with byproducts like Chlorine, Ethers, and BPA that are much more harmful and dangerous to animals (and humans) than when it is bound in the plastic chemical chain. These chemicals will end up being stored in containers and buried just like they do with other dangerous waste chemical.
3. It requires less energy to extract petrochemicals from the earth than it is recover them from plastics.
I'm skeptical about the energy efficiency of converting plastic back to oil but if the article is correct in saying that it only takes one kilowatt-hour to create a liter of oil, this machine might actually be pretty useful. A liter of oil nets about 9.6 kwh assuming I'm doing my conversions correctly and this source is valid: http://www.ocean.washington.edu/courses/envir215/energynumbers.pdf
Of course, it's not clear to me if the oil made by this process has that kind of energy yield. Anyone with a bit more knowledge care to comment?
FTA: "One kilogram of plastic waste produces almost a liter of oil while using about 1 kilowatt of electricity."
Am I the only nerd that gets super-annoyed reading this? Tell me how much energy it takes, not how much power! Or how long it takes to convert using that power.
Akinori Ito, the CEO of Blest, a Japanese company, who has invented a machine that converts waste plastic into usable oil like fuel, was found dead in his home this morning. At first it was thought to be a murder, but then it was revealed that he had heart complications. Now we're receiving word that it was most definitely a suicide. Yup, it was a suicide no doubt about it....... nothing to see here so turn the page.
Not really. CO2 means one carbon atom combined with 2 oxygen atoms. Since the atomic weights of carbon and oxygen are close (12 and 16), 1kg of carbon atoms from plastic will combine with nearly 2kg of oxygen atoms (from the atmosphere), to produce nearly 3kg of CO2.
I doubt the Japanese would sell it to big oil companies. They seem like people who would want everyone to have access to it, not just two or three companies.
i23photographyAug 22, 2010Buried
This needs to be mass produced now.
dirtyfriesAug 22, 2010Buried
Next war will be in the South Pacific for the garbage patch
ronpauliskingAug 23, 2010Buried
I bet ya the oil companies try to buy the patent so no one can use it
gemlarinAug 23, 2010Buried
It is not a new invention.
http://www.gizmag.com/envion-plastic-waste-to-oil-generator/12902/
The reason you don't see it being used vary often is 3-fold.
...
1. It has a negative energy potential. It takes more energy to do the conversion than the oil produced will provide. This means that you burn more petrochemicals (natural gas, coal, diesel) at power plants to generate the power to run the conversion process than you would ever get from the plastic.
2. It is incredibly expensive to dispose of the waste products. Once you remove the oil, you are left with byproducts like Chlorine, Ethers, and BPA that are much more harmful and dangerous to animals (and humans) than when it is bound in the plastic chemical chain. These chemicals will end up being stored in containers and buried just like they do with other dangerous waste chemical.
3. It requires less energy to extract petrochemicals from the earth than it is recover them from plastics.
maxjanAug 22, 2010Buried
A must have for any zombie survivalist. And a step closer to Mr. Fusion.
bertqbAug 23, 2010Buried
Throw Heidi Montag through that thing.
08stiAug 23, 2010Buried
Wow, this is amazing -- wonder why it hasn't been nationally publicized yet? Major break through!
tevatronAug 23, 2010Buried
I'm skeptical about the energy efficiency of converting plastic back to oil but if the article is correct in saying that it only takes one kilowatt-hour to create a liter of oil, this machine might actually be pretty useful. A liter of oil nets about 9.6 kwh assuming I'm doing my conversions correctly and this source is valid: http://www.ocean.washington.edu/courses/envir215/energynumbers.pdf
Of course, it's not clear to me if the oil made by this process has that kind of energy yield. Anyone with a bit more knowledge care to comment?
anomaly100Aug 22, 2010Buried
That's brilliant.
az0707Aug 23, 2010Buried
Probably that won't happen because of the big oil companies.
68024Aug 23, 2010Buried
Everybody should have one of these in their home... just like a fridge or a washing machine.
afastingartistAug 23, 2010Buried
FTA: "One kilogram of plastic waste produces almost a liter of oil while using about 1 kilowatt of electricity."
Am I the only nerd that gets super-annoyed reading this? Tell me how much energy it takes, not how much power! Or how long it takes to convert using that power.
thrillki1lAug 23, 2010Buried
If this guy doesn't get a nobel prize I'll be outraged.
getlogicatedAug 23, 2010Buried
BREAKING (future) NEWS!
Monday, August 23, 2010:
Akinori Ito, the CEO of Blest, a Japanese company, who has invented a machine that converts waste plastic into usable oil like fuel, was found dead in his home this morning. At first it was thought to be a murder, but then it was revealed that he had heart complications. Now we're receiving word that it was most definitely a suicide. Yup, it was a suicide no doubt about it....... nothing to see here so turn the page.
marytormeyAug 23, 2010Buried
I did not find the source credible so here is a better link.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12141-giant-microwave-turns-plastic-back-to-oil.html
deadpoetic333Aug 23, 2010Buried
No, but rumor has it they exist.
brettmjohnsonAug 23, 2010Buried
Not really. CO2 means one carbon atom combined with 2 oxygen atoms. Since the atomic weights of carbon and oxygen are close (12 and 16), 1kg of carbon atoms from plastic will combine with nearly 2kg of oxygen atoms (from the atmosphere), to produce nearly 3kg of CO2.
awesomebox5000Aug 23, 2010Buried
Theres a few of 'em but you're correct about North Pacific being the f**king huge one.
smacksawAug 23, 2010Buried
And then invent a machine to turn this machine into oil once we've converted all of the plastic into oil.
crimsonflashAug 23, 2010Buried
I doubt the Japanese would sell it to big oil companies. They seem like people who would want everyone to have access to it, not just two or three companies.