IIT-Madras Researchers Develop Simple Process To Produce Bio-Oil From Agricultural Waste

IIT Madras researchers have reportedly developed a simple process to produce high-energy biofuel oils from agricultural waste.

The project is funded by GAIL (India) Ltd. and the aim is to produce oil from waste such as rice straw and bagasse, and plastic, claim reports.Oils from renewable biological sources are considered to be a practical replacement for petroleum and petrochemical products, TNIE quoted IIT Madras in a statement.

Representational Image/IITK

Among the most common methods to produce bio-oil is ¡®pyrolysis¡¯ which is heat-induced breakdown of components. However, according to the statement ¡®The newly developed method results in lower heating value of bio-oils compared to fossil fuels, and, in addition, increases their acidity and corrosiveness¡¯.

Mixing plastic with biomass is expected to produce bio-oils with better properties, like higher energy yields. Components like rice straw, bagasee, groundnut shells, sawdust and wood from ¡®Seemai Karuvelam¡¯ tree with two synthetic plastics were broken down using a microwave, reportedly.

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Wakefield Biochar

¡°We believe usage of microwave is a sustainable and energy-efficient approach for resource recovery from a wide variety of wastes, including disposed single-use plastics and non-reusable face masks,¡± TNIE quoted R Vinu, Associate Professor with Department of Chemical Engineering as saying.

IIT researchers elsewhere are involved in new eco-friendly developments too.

Researchers at IIT Mandi fashioned face masks from plastic bottles that are not only more breathable than the masks that are currently available in the market but also reusable up to 30 times. "These ultrafine fibres allow less resistance in airflow due to a unique phenomenon called 'slip flow' which improves breathability. Moreover, the thrown away PET bottles can be put to good use using this technique,¡± Ashish Kakoria, a research scholar and one of the team members, reportedly said.

Sumit Sinha Ray an assistant professor at IIT Mandi stated that the team used plastic bottles to develop a single thin layer of nano-nonwoven membrane that offers desirable particle filtration efficiency like the N95 respirator.

TOI

He said, "The first concern that comes to mind when we hear that something is made of plastic is whether it is safe to use. These nanofibres meet the safety requirements of the user by excluding the bacteria and infectious components. The breathability in the developed masks is better than the commercially available masks.¡±

Sumit said that at laboratory the material cost for the mask was around Rs 25 per piece but its cost will nearly be halved during commercial manufacture.
These developments at IITs are bound to help the environment one way or another.

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