Tackling paper, rubber waste

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 7, (Agencies): The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) announced that its Environmental and Life Sciences Research Center had obtained a patent for a “waste treatment system in a module” granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office. The institute said in a press statement that it has achieved a pioneering scientific achievement in the field of engineering sciences and waste management, which depends on treating quantities of up to 5 kilograms per hour from a mixture of plastic household waste using a unique design of a chemical reactor that works with liquefaction technology with sand and catalysts.

He explained that the system uses a backing reactor to treat paper waste and rubber, such as worn tires as well, in order to produce light gases comparable to petroleum derivatives, and to produce carbon black and equivalent oils such as gasoline and diesel. The institute stated that the patent was registered in the name of the research team consisting of Dr. Sultan Al-Salem, a principal researcher from the institute, Dr. Animesh Dutta from the University of Guelph/Canada, and Majid Al-Wadi, a research technician from the institute