The innovation is called KEMILAN.

An eco-friendly plastic wastes recycling machine for producing paver bricks and emissions control.

The KEMILAN is a thermomechanical plastic wastes processing machine which melts PET wastes without releasing any pollutants (VOCs, CO, CO2) into the environment. The Innovation has a scrubber attached to the KEMILAN which receives all the emissions resulting from melting the PET wastes collected from the streets. The melted PET are subsequently mixed with sand inside the KEMILAN to produce bricks.

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Overview

Information on this page is provided by the innovator and has not been evaluated by HundrED.

Web presence

2022

Established

40

Children

1

Countries

Target group

Community

Updated

April 2023

To build a large network of innovative engineers who will improve the working efficiency of my innovation, create robust and informed personnel that will be curious on eradicating the menace of plastic pollution in our environment and have large sustainable recycling plants across many campuses in the country.

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

Plastic wastes growth has continued to increase with less than 15% global recycling rate. Recently, paver bricks are being produced from PET wastes and sand but through crude means which releases toxic pollutants. There is an urgent need to produce an eco-friendly machine which will adequately melt and mix plastic wastes with sand while preventing indoor and outdoor release of pollutants.

What does your innovation look like in practice?

The innovation has been of tremendous success due to the following reasons:
1) There have been an increased recycling rate of PET wastes collected from streets and campuses.
2) Good and durable paver bricks with strength of 18N/mm² are produced through the innovation
3) Emissions which are characterized with open melting of PET wastes through heating of metal containers are totally prevented and avoided.
4) Emissions from the melting process are purified through a scrubber using water and subsequently storing undissolved gases in soil for plant uptake through phytoremediation.

The pollutants (mainly VOCs) was found to reduce significantly to about 90% when using the invented machine as compared to the crude practice of melting PET wastes in open containers for the production of paver bricks. It's an innovation which is addressing the menace of sustainable plastic wastes recycling on an increasing scale.

How has it been spreading?

The first machine designed and fabricated had it challenges ranging from the strength of materials used and adequately capturing and controlling the emissions associated with the process. Subsequently, all these challenges were corrected and the machine is capable of recycling about 500kg of PET wastes daily. All emissions from the recycling process are not released into the environment, avoiding occupational exposure hazards for workers within the recycling plant. Students in tertiary institutions are exposed to the basic concepts of the innovation and possible suggestions for upgrade.
My goal is to produce a bigger/industrial scale machine in the next 2-3 years so as to increase the PET collection rate from the streets and subsequently recycling them into paver bricks for construction.

If I want to try it, what should I do?

I can be reached directly through Yusufowoseni@gmail.com or +2347067892426

I am open to sharing ideas with people of like minds who will improve the recycling rate of plastic wastes and prevent their pollution on land and sea.

Implementation steps

Collection of PET wastes from the Campus & Stree

1) Plastic wastes (PET) are collected from streets or campuses through designated wastes pickers or collection bins provided at strategic locations.
2) The collected wastes are transported to recycling plants or workshop.
3) The collected PET wastes are uncapped and their labels are removed.
4) Treatment (washing with water) of the uncapped PET wastes is not required.
5) Desired quantity of screened PET wastes to be recycled are measured using a weighing balance.

Feeding of screened wastes into the KEMILAN

1) Measured quantity of PET wastes screened for recycling are fed into the KEMILAN through an opening at the top
2) The opening is tightly closed and sealed.
3) Heat energy (using LPG) is applied at the base of the KEMILAN.
4) A connecting hose is immediately used to connect the KEMILAN and the scrubber (WREEKER) to receive emissions resulting from the thermomechanical process.
5) Temperature is monitored internally for the KEMILAN until it reaches 120⁰C.

Collection and Dissolution of Emissions

1) A 1hp portable gasoline water pumping machine is immediately turned on when the heat energy is ignited beneath the KEMILAN.
2) Emissions from the KEMILAN are first dissolved in the 1st chamber of the WREEKER through a shower system.
3) Undissolved gases from the 1st chamber are allowed to flow into the 2nd chamber of the WREEKER.
4) The gases in the 2nd chamber flows to the last (3rd) chamber of the WREEKER through coarse aggregates filter and subsequently charcoal and sand.

Mixing of Melt Plastics with Sand

1) When the temperature of the KEMILAN reaches 140-150⁰C, all the PET wastes are known to have melted.
2) A R175A diesel engine is turned on to provide mechanical turning of the shaft inside the KEMILAN
3) Sand (4.75mm) of calculated mix ratio to the fed PET are introduced through a small opening provided at the top of the KEMILAN while mixing is being sustained.
4) When thoroughly mixed plastic melt and sand is obtained inside the KEMILAN, they are fed into a mould of desired pattern.

Moulding of bricks and Air Quality Measurements

1) Already mixed plastic melt with sand are released into steel moulds from the discharge/outlet of the KEMILAN at it base.
2) The mould is allowed to rest for 30mins for the paver bricks to set before extraction from the mould.
3) Air Quality Parameters are obtained using direct air sampling equipment to measure the pollutants level within the workplace environment at intervals of 45-60 minutes when recycling is ongoing.