VATIS UPDATE Article

Scientists at BlueRen, Singapore, have found an eco-friendly way to convert plastic waste into carbon nanotubes – tiny cylinders of carbon atoms. With this innovation, more plastic waste can be recycled and the use of cement to make concrete reduced, as the carbon material can be used as an additive in concrete instead. BlueRen’s technology converts plastics into hydrocarbon gases, which are then passed through different chambers such that carbon nanotubes can be formed from these gases.

A key difference in its recycling process is that BlueRen uses a different mineral as the catalyst, one that is more environment-friendly. BlueRen’s method gives a 10 per cent yield – every 10,000 tonnes of plastic waste can be converted to 1,000 tonnes of carbon nanotubes. The patent for BlueRen’s technology is pending, but its future looks promising. Last October, it beat about 300 applicants to become one of 11 groups that received the DBS Foundation Social Enterprise Grant. BlueRen intends to use the grant to develop its prototype.