| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/M50904/01 |
| Title: |
MICROWAVE PYROLYSIS FOR WASTE MINIMISATION: RECOVERY OF ALUMINIUM & HYDROCARBONS FROM PACKAGING LAMINATES |
| Principal Investigator: |
Chase, Professor HA |
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| Department: |
Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology |
| Organisation: |
University of Cambridge |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 May 1999 |
Ends: |
31 October 2002 |
Value (£): |
228,071
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| Environment |
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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The programme involves the development of a novel process for the recovery of materials from aluminium/organic laminates that occur in packaging wastes. This environmentally-friendly technique involves the pyrolysis of the waste in a bed of carbon that is heated by microwave radiation, an approach that overcomes the major difficulties that arise from other alternative methods. Treatment of aluminium-containing laminates by this method recovers the content of aluminium foil as a very high quality metallic aluminium and the organic content is cracked to produce liquid and gas hydrocarbon fractions that can be used both in feedstock recycling (as a hydrocarbon oil) and in energy generation to compensate for the consumption of electricity during microwave heating.The work proposed includes the elucidation of the chemical engineering science that underlies this process, and the utilisation of that information in the development of the process to the stage suitable for commercial exploitation. The latter involves the development of prototype (small-scale) equipment (reactor vessels, and product collection systems) suitable for use in a continuous process and various design exercises to demonstrate the technological, economic and environmental advantages of the process.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.cam.ac.uk |