Progress 10/01/12 to 07/31/15
Outputs
Target Audience:The results of this research were applicable to common waste plastics. Therefore, the target audience is the worldwide population, the leaders and decision makers, teachers, and students. Here, we were concentrated at the student body, particularly, the ones that participated in the project. We had direct contact with the participants in the conferences by presenting the results of the research. The peer-reviewed journal articles potentially can reach an international audience. Changes/Problems: The construction of a demo-reactor, as was proposed in the project, was not achieved due to workmanship and technical problems. The set-up of the fuel testing laboratories, as it was proposed in the project, was not achieved due to funding limitations and space availability. Testing the products of pyrolysis in diesel and gasoline internal engines was not possible due to problems with procurement and purchasing such engines. Thermogravimetric instrumentation and supplies were available; therefore, most of the research was directed toward the mechanism of degradation of pyrolysis which is essential for any application. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? This project provided training opportunities and professional development for 11 undergraduate and graduate students including a high school teacher in recycling plastic wastes by pyrolysis process. Also, this project was a source of professional development for faculty by publishing in peer-reviewed journals, and participation in regional and national conferences to present the results of research, network with other researchers, and be exposed to the cutting edge research and researchers at in the country. Moreover, this project provided an opportunity to showcase the research at SCSU with various international and national scientific organizations. The PI has presented and participated in the following meetings: U54 grant meeting at Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Charleston, SC July 22, 2015. Preparing for ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology), South Carolina State university, May 4, 2015. South Carolina State MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences) Annual Banquet, South Carolina State University, April 29, 2015. Seeding America's Future Innovations (SBIR Road Tour), University of South Carolina, Capstone Conference Center, 898 Barnwell Street, Columbia, SC, Friday, March 27, 2015 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM. 249th National Meeting & Exposition, American Chemical Society, Denver, Colorado, March 22-26, 2015 248th National Meeting & Exposition, American Chemical Society, San Francisco, CA, USA Aug 10-14, 2014. Annual poster presentations of high school students supported by ACS SEED Project, University of South Carolina, Columbia SC Aug 1, 2014. Annual conference of South Carolina EPSCoR/IDeA in Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, Columbia SC April 24, 2014 National Meeting & Exposition, American Chemical Society, Dallas, TX, USA March 16-20, 2014. Southeast Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Atlanta, GA. Nov. 13 - 16, 2013. National Meeting & Exposition, American Chemical Society, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 2012 Regional Meeting & Exposition, American Chemical Society, Richmond, Virginia, USA, 2012 Met with Georgia Tech Faculty to explore possible collaboration, Atlanta, GA. Oct 11, 2012 Minority Leaders Program Review for Sensors, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Oct 14-17, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA, 2012. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Most of the relevant results were disseminated to the communities of the interests including by: Peer reviewed publications. Oral Presentations and publication of abstracts in conference proceedings at the regional and national level including American Chemical Society, and Professional Agricultural Workers conference (PAWC), Tuskegee, Alabama. Poster presentation of results and publication of abstracts in conference proceedings in the regional and national level. Many of our students presented the results of study in local seminars at the South Carolina State university. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The following includes the most relevant accomplishment during this project: Eleven graduate and undergraduate students worked and trained by hands-on experiments on pyrolysis of waste plastics. Also, they participated in development of publications as well presented the results of the research project at various scientific gathering and conferences. Ordered instrumentation, materials, and supplies needed for the project. Generally, this was not accomplished in a timely manner due to university-imposed constraints. However, the project never stopped. Other means that were suitable to the progress of project were utilized. Many thermolysis experiments were conducted on various kinds of household plastics including shopping bags, protection shipping boxes, and safety gloves. The products of thermolysis were collected, labeled, identified properly by density, and gas chromatography -mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Relevant results of research were published in peer-reviewed journals, in scientific meetings and gatherings. 4.The pyrolysis of gloves (both power-free and powdered) also was studied by thermogravimetric analysis. The results of study were published in various media including peer-reviewed journals and conferences. 5.During this period, the PI developed the following grants and submitted them to the funding agencies. 6. Exploring an important but problematic worldwide resource: Waste Plastics" National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) USDA 1890-Capacity Building. 2015-2018 ($299,973 Pending) 7. "Effects of side chain on macromolecular architecture and functionality of poly(di-alkyl-phenyl acrylate)s' DoD- Army 2015-2018 ($505,250) 8. "Nanomaterials and devices for thermal management in space" (Letter of Intent for NASA/EPSCoR 2015) in collaboration with Clemson and SCSU. "Waste Plastics: A Renewable Resource to Produce Fuel and Fine Chemicals" National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) USDA 1890-Capacity Building. 2014-2017 ($300,000) 2014. 9. SC EPSCoR in collaboration with Clemson and SCSU .2013 Treatment of the plastic wastes as a source of the renewable energy ($300k) USDA 1890-Capacity Building (2013-2016) 2014. 10. Effects of lateral groups on solution properties and thermal characteristics of poly(di-alkyl-phenyl acrylate)s,($449,216)US Department of Defense (2013-2016).
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Hamidi, Nasrollah, Kinetics and Thermal Degradation of Powder-Free Laboratory Examination Gloves by Thermogravimetric Analysis at 308�C and 408�C Journal of Applied Physical Science International, 3(2): 39-51, 2015.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Hamidi, Nasrollah, Shrestha, Sujan, Marcanikova, Marketa, Laursen, Charles T., and Ghalili, Mashid, Thermogravimetric and Kinetic of thermal degradation of Powdered Laboratory Examination Gloves: 2. Analysis of isotherm and thermal scan Traces from 307-450�C. British Journal of Applied Science & Technology, 6(4): 316-334, (2015).
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Hamidi, Nasrollah, Kinetics of Powder-Free Laboratory Examination Gloves by Thermogravimetric Analysis Journal of Advances in Research. (in preparation 2015)
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Hamidi, Nasrollah, Kinetics of Powder-Free Laboratory Examination Gloves at 323�C and 408�C by Thermogravimetric Analysis International Journal of Materials Chemistry and Physics. (Submitted 2015)
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Hamidi, Nasrollah, Kinetics of Powder-Free Laboratory Examination Gloves at 345�C and 405�C by Thermogravimetric Analysis Journal of Advances in Research. (in review 2015)
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Hamidi, Nasrollah, Kinetics and Thermal Degradation of Powder-Free Laboratory Examination Gloves by Thermogravimetric Analysis at 333�C and 422�C American Chemical Science Journal, 8(4): 1-15, 2015.
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Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14
Outputs
Target Audience: The specific target audiences were undergraduate students that are a part of the project. In addition, a high school teacher, who works during the summer as our bridge to the high school students. The target audiences at large were the participants in the conferences and the public who access scientific publications. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? This project provided opportunities for 2 undergraduate students and one high school teacher to receive training in pyrolysis of waste plastics and the conversion of the waste plastics to useful materials such as fuel and fine chemicals. This project provided professional development for faculty by participation in the regional and national conference to present the results of research, interacts with other researchers, and find the work of others. Moreover, this project provided opportunity to showcase the research at SCSU in various international and national scientific meetings. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The results were disseminated to the communities of the interests by: a) Peer reviewed publications. b.) Presentations in the regional and national conferences. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? I plan to do the following: To establish the chemical kinetics for thermolysis of waste gloves particularly the powder free latex gloves. To study the nature of gases emitted from thermolysis of the gloves. To study the nature of volatiles emitted in the thermolysis of other household wastes. To publish the results of the studies. To prepare a grant to attract external funding.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
All activities mention above was accomplished: Selection of the students and trained them into the objectives of the project. Ordered instrumentation, material, supplies needed for the project. Published the results of research and some of the previous research results. Studied pyrolysis of certain household plastics waste such as shopping bags, protection shipping boxes, identify the liquids and gases by GC-MS, and published the results of the study in various formats such as poster, oral presentation and in a peer reviewed journal. Studied pyrolysis of powdered latex gloves, identified the liquids and gases by GC-MS, and published the results of the study in various formats such as poster, oral presentation and in a peer reviewed journal. Studied pyrolysis of powder-free latex gloves, identified the liquids and gases by GC-MS, and published the results of the study in various formats such as poster, oral presentation and in a pear reviewed journal. An important point revealed by this research, is that the recovery route of every plastic waste depends on the condition of and kind of material. Depending on the kind of waste, the most economically feasible process and treatment must be used.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Hamidi, N; Massoudi, R, Shrestha, S., Marcanikova, M., Chang, S. Whitesides, L. Thermogravimetric and Kinetic of thermal degradation of Powdered Laboratory Examination Gloves: 1. Analysis of thermal Scan Traces from 310-450�C. British Journal of Applied Science & Technology. 4(34): 4731-4750 (2014).
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Nasrollah Hamidi, and Tiandra Best, Characteristics of poly(3,5-dimethylphenylacrylate) in ethyl acetate at 25� and 30�C Journal of Macromolecular Science, Part B: Physics. 53: 931-955 (2014).1. Nasrollah Hamidi, Ruhullah Massoudi, Sujan Shrestha, Lycinda Lalmansingh, Travis Pascoe, Comfort Oriakhi, and Louis Whitesides Waste Plastics: Pyrolysis of Powdered and Powder-Free Laboratory Examination Waste Gloves British Journal of Applied Science & Technology 4 (6) Page 967-1019 (2014).
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Progress 01/01/13 to 09/30/13
Outputs
Target Audience: The specific target audiences were undergraduate students. The target audiences at-large were the participants in the conferences and the public who has access to scientific publications. Changes/Problems: Due to workmanship, to technical problems, and to time, the construction of a demo-reactor and set-up of the fuel testing laboratories were postponed. Ordering materials and supplies were postponed because of some unknown problems.The research was continued within resources that were available. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? This project provided opportunities for 4 undergraduate students to receive training in pyrolysis of waste plastics and the conversion of the waste plastics to useful materials such as fuel and fine chemicals. This project provided professional development for faculty by participation in the regional and national conference in order to present the results of research, the interacts with other researchers, and the discovering of others’ work. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The results were disseminated to the communities of the interests by Peer-reviewed publications. Presentations in the regional and national conferences. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? To establish the chemical kinetics for thermolysis of waste gloves. To study the nature of gases emitted from thermolysis of the gloves. To study the nature of volatiles emitted in the thermolysis of other household wastes. To publish the results of the studies. To prepare a grant to attract external funding.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The project addressed energy problems by converting plastic wastes to fuel, contributed to environmental safety by providing a technique for reducing plastic waste in landfills, and addressed education by involving four undergraduate students in research by publishing the results in peer-reviewed journals, and by attending scientific conferences in community education. The goal of reducing the amount of plastic waste material in the Orangeburg, South Carolina, landfills have to be developed in three related phases: (a) basic research, which was the center point of this project; (b) demonstration thermolysis reactor, and (c) pilot plants. The results of the basic research will be applied to build a demonstration reactor. The experience gained from the demonstration models will be useful for constructing a model pilot plant for recycling and for thermolysis of plastic wastes. Plastic shopping bags and other polyethylene-based plastic wastes were thermally decomposed to liquid and gases suitable for fuel. Polystyrene-based (PS) material was also studied; PS can thermally be converted to styrene and other fine chemicals. The result of the study was published in the British Journal of Applied Science & Technology 3(3): 417-439, 2013. Furthermore, PS was dissolved in a solvent (toluene), precipitated, and then dried to be recycled as polystyrene. The thermal stability of laboratory safety gloves (LSG) was determined by thermogravimetric analysis (from 50ºC to 800ºC) with a heating rate of 10ºC/min while the samples were purged with 10 mL/min nitrogen. The study revealed that both types of gloves had very similar thermal stabilities as expected by the nature of their constituent polymer, neoprene. The highest decomposition rates were observed at temperatures of 410ºC. The leftovers of the powder-free LSG (15%) were less than the leftovers of powdered LSG (30%) at 500°C; in the same way the leftover ashes of powdered LSG (18%) were higher than powdered free (7%) at 800°C. The thermal cracking process without catalyst was used to convert LSG wastes into gaseous, liquid,, and solid chemicals. The reactor was loaded with LSGs without cutting. The condensed liquids were analyzed by a Shimadzu GC-MS model GCMS-QP 2010s, using helium as the mobile phase. The GC-MS chromatogram of liquids obtained from thermolysis of LSGs indicated over 200 chemicals. The most abundant compound of pyrolysis was HCl as was expected from chlorinated plastics, flowing with eight carbon isomers. Also, a variety of phthalic acid derivatives with high concentration were recognized in all samples. The liquids obtained from pyrolysis of LSGs were a complex mixture of hydrocarbons and cyclic compounds. In addition, every sample was saturated with inorganic and organic acids, esters, and anhydrides. Therefore, the refinement of liquids resulting from pyrolysis is necessary to obtain a quality fuel. Moreover, the condensed liquids produced from pyrolysis contained highly reactive chemicals such as acids, alcohols, and alkene, which made them unsuitable fuel for internal combustion engines prior to refinement. One of the important points revealed by this research was that the recovery route of every plastic waste depends on the condition of and kind of material. Depending on the kind of waste, the most economically feasible process and treatment must be used.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Nasrollah Hamidi, Fariba Tebyanian, Ruhullah Massoudi, and Louis Whitesides, Pyrolysis of Household Plastic Wastes British Journal of Applied Science & Technology 3(3): 417-439, 2013.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Nasrollah Hamidi (2013): On the total, apparent partial molar, partial molar, apparent partial specific and partial specific volume of the binary systems , Physics and Chemistry of Liquids: An International Journal, 51:3, 317-337. To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00319104.2012.713555 (results from a previous 1890 project).
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Progress 01/01/12 to 12/31/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The products of this study are fuels such as light gasoline, diesel fuel, and fine chemicals. The products are in the testing and evaluation stages. We have not extended these products to the people or the public. The results of the studies were shared with graduated and undergraduate students at SCSU. The audiences were the summer internship students sponsored by various programs on the campus such as INBRE, NSF/HBCU-UP, SCAMP, and others. Two undergraduate students were exposed to the results of the project, and they were involved in research during the first semester of the project, fall 2012. Activities: Most of the research activities were basic science, consisting on pyrolysis of a variety of plastic wastes into valuable liquids such as fuel and lubricants. The activities are summarized below. 1. Materials The materials used were waste plastics. They were not supplied by manufacturers. Three types of waste plastics were selected for this particular study and are the following: (1) shipping protection styrofoam boxes (SPFB) recovered from shipping containers which were cut to small pieces suitable to fill the reactor. (2) styrofoam dining plates (SDP) collected after a dinner meeting. (3) Common carrying plastic shopping bags (CPB) which were collected after shopping from many stores during. 2. Instrumentation 2.1 The thermogravimetric analyzer A Perkin-Elmer TGA-7 was used to study the thermal stability of the plastic wastes from 70 ˚ Deg. C to 600 ˚ C with a heating rate of 10 ˚ C/min while the sample was purged with 10 mL/min argon. 2.2 Gas Chromatographer-Mass Spectrometer A Shimadzu GC-MS model GCMS-QP 2010s was used to analyze the liquid samples using helium as the mobile phase. The oven program was set on 4 min. at 45 ˚ C, followed by a 10˚ C/min temperature increase to 220 ˚ C and then an isothermal on the final temperature for 15 min. 3. Procedures The pyrolysis procedure was used to convert the waste plastics to liquids as described below: 3.1 SDP were shredded into small pieces and placed into the reactor. The first drop of condensate liquid was collected at the vapor's condensation temperature about 70 ˚ C. The collected liquid was transparent and clear. The leftover had a consistency and color similar to asphalt materials. 3.2 SPFB was cut into small pieces and placed into the reactor to decompose to liquid fuel. The condensed vapors were collected at temperatures 60 ˚ to 131 ˚ C. Seventy percent of the mass of total materials were converted to liquid, and the leftover was 20% of the original materials. 3.3 CPB A mixture of CPB was placed into the reactor. The vapors were condensed at 60 ˚ C. The temperature of condensing vapor gradually increased to 175 ˚ C. Twenty samples were collected; six samples were selected for chemical analyses. The powder-shaped residue was not uniform 3.4 The thermal stability of household plastic increases in the following order: soft SPFB~ hard SPFB< SDP< < gray CPB. This behavior is due to the thermal stabilities of original constituents; PE is more thermally stable than PS. PARTICIPANTS: The PI, Dr. Nasrollah Hamidi, worked on this project 25% of his time. He designed the experiments, collected data, interpreted, wrote the first draft of publications and later, continued work with the editor to get the paper accepted for publication. Also, the PI described the duties of undergraduates, graduates, and technicians who worked on this project. The PI met with the USDA-NIFA to study the possibilities of obtaining funds for extending the project behind 1890-Research supports. Actually, he submitted a project to the 1890-capacity building. The graduate student, Fariba Tebyanian, worked during the summer time on the project. She collected the data, analyzed the data obtained from GC-MS, and helped on the manuscript to take form and be published. The undergraduate students, Kadeidre Gaymon (freshman) and Charles Laursen (senior), worked on the literature research. They were well-versed on the applicability of the idea covered in the project. Since they worked in a very short span of time, they did not collect data or did not participate in the developing of a publication. TARGET AUDIENCES: The targeted audiences at SCSU were graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in SCSU. These students are more than 80% minorities, and the targeted audience was everyone in the world since we published the results of our studies in an open journal. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: The first semester we had planned to begin the construction of a larger reactor to convert plastic waste into liquid. Due to workmanship and technical problems, we postponed it to a later date. Instead, we concentrated on the literature search and publication of the results that we had.
Impacts
This project was supported by SCSU-1890 Research funds. The objective was to obtain fuel from plastic wastes. In our efforts to obtain fuel, we were well successful. We obtained two types of flammable liquids: (1) the liquids obtained from pyrolysis of the waste plastics made of polystyrene (PS), such as dining plate and shipping protection boxes, and (2) the liquids obtained from thermolysis of plastic materials made from polyethylene (PE), such as plastic shopping bags. The liquids were characterized by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The GC-MS characteristics of these liquids showed that the liquids obtained from polystyrene derivatives contained a wide-range of chemicals that can be fractionated to light gasoline and diesel fuel. The GC-MS characteristics of liquids obtained from thermolysis of wastes derivatives of polyethylene contained a large varieties of chemicals that also could be fractionated into gasoline and diesel fuel. Moreover, part of the liquid obtained from pyrolysis of PE-derivatives also can be used as synthetic high quality lubricant after hydrogenation. Two undergraduate students learned about the possibilities of recycling plastic wastes to fuel and lubricants. Some Remarks Pyrolysis of Polystyrene Derivatives Our results of studies were rather contrary to the published literature. The pyrolysis of pure polystyrene produced more than 90% styrene as reported by Williams and Williams (1997) and Cooley and Williams (2003). The discrepancies were due to differences in engineering and materials used. Our experimental materials were recovered-PS wastes compared to the other studies where they used freshly prepared pure PS. We used a hundred thousand more materials in a larger volume reactor versus mg in a few mL volumes. Impurities that are inherent to the wastes in addition to fillers and plasticizers and the higher residence time of the decomposition products at high temperatures inside the vessel changed the outcome of the chemical pyrolysis. Styrene and methyl-styrene was the result of PS chain break-down to the original constituents units as expected.The products, other than styrene and styrene derivatives, mostly resulted from secondary reactions during the residence time of the vapors in the reactor, and some others resulted from decompositions of additives and impurities that are inherent to processed and waste materials.The TICs of the five samples were similar to each other. The produced hydrocarbons covered a wide-range of compounds from C4 to C24, consisting of alkene and alkane. The highest TIC picks looked like gemials; the first was alkene, and the peak immediately after it was the alkane with the same number of carbons. These hydrocarbons resulted from break-down of the C-C bonds in poly (ethylene) chains at random positions.
Publications
- Hamidi, N. and Best, T. (2013). Characteristics of poly (3,5-dimethylphenylacrylate) in Ethyl Acetate at 25Deg and 30Deg C. Journal of Macromolecular Science, Part B: Physics (in press).
- Hamidi, N., Tebyanian, F., Massoudi, R., and Whitesides, L. (2013). Pyrolysis of Household Plastic Wastes. British Journal of Applied Science & Technology 3(3): 417-439
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