MISCELLANEA

10 New technology enables conversion of waste plastics to jet fuel in just one hour

Researchers have been able to convert 90% of waste plastic to jet fuel and other valuable hydrocarbon products within an hour at moderate temperatures.

Washington State University researchers have developed an innovative way to convert plastics to ingredients for jet fuel and other valuable products, making it easier and more cost-effective to reuse plastics. They were also able to easily fine-tune the process to create the products that they wanted.

Led by graduate student Chuhua Jia and Hongfei Lin, Associate Professor in the Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, they report on their work in the journal Chem Catalysis. ‘In the recycling industry, the cost of recycling is the key,’ Lin said. ‘This work is a milestone for us to advance this new technology to commercialisation.’

In recent decades the accumulation of waste plastics has caused an environmental crisis, polluting oceans and pristine environments around the world. As they degrade, tiny pieces of micro-plastics have been found to enter the food chain and become a potential threat to human health.

However, plastic recycling has been problematic. The most common mechanical recycling methods melt the plastic and re-mould it, but that lowers its economic value and quality for use in other products. Chemical recycling can produce higher quality products, but it requires high reaction temperatures and a long processing time, making it too expensive and cumbersome for industries to adopt. On account of the limitations, only about 9% of plastic in the U.S. is recycled every year.

Converting plastic in one hour
In their work, the WSU researchers developed a catalytic process to efficiently convert polyethylene to jet fuel and high-value lubricants. Polyethylene, also known as the No. 1 plastic, is the most commonly used, in a huge variety of products from plastics bags, milk jugs and shampoo bottles to corrosion-resistant piping, wood-plastic composite lumber and plastic furniture.

For their process, the researchers used a ruthenium on carbon catalyst and a commonly used solvent. They were able to convert about 90% of the plastic to jet fuel components or other hydrocarbon products within an hour at a temperature of 220 degrees Celsius (428 degrees Fahrenheit), which is more efficient and lower than temperatures that would be typically used.

Jia was surprised to see just how well the solvent and catalyst worked. ‘Before the experiment, we only speculated but didn’t know if it would work… The result was so good.’

Adjusting processing conditions such as the temperature, time or amount of catalyst used, provided the critically important step of being able to fine-tune the process to create desirable products, Lin said.

‘Depending on the market, they can fine-tune to what product they want to generate,’ he said. ‘They have flexibility. The application of this efficient process may provide a promising approach for selectively producing high-value products from waste polyethylene.’

(Source: International Business Times – By IBT News Desk – 18th May, 2021)

II. Health

11 Scots researchers needed to test curcumin and Covid

Scots who have knee osteoarthritis are being urged to explore the latest research for pain relief from a clinical study. The health benefits of a bioavailable turmeric extract may not only help with pain relief for knee osteoarthritis, but could also lessen some of the severe complications from Covid-19 by offering possible protection as an anti-inflammatory agent against viral infection complications.

Turmeric, a spice used in curry, has been used as medicine in India for hundreds of generations. And recently a number of scientific studies have proved that it contains compounds with medicinal properties for pain relief because of its inflammatory properties.

One form of curcumin extract, called BCM-95®, currently has the strongest independent data in human trials, having been used in dozens of clinical trials. BCM-95® is an enhanced curcuminoid complex with the essential oils of turmeric which is seven times more bioavailable than standard curcumin. BCM-95® is also known as CURCUGREEN®.

BCM-95® is the most researched bioavailable curcumin in the world with over 70 clinical studies in high impact publications. According to the British Journal of Nutrition ‘unmodified curcumin is reported to be retained in the blood for two to five hours in humans, whereas retention of a modified form of curcumin (Biocurcumax-95, or BCM-95®) is reported as exceeding eight hours’.

The most important of these compounds is curcumin, and its bioavailability, or how easily a substance can be absorbed by the body, may be of interest to the 20% of Scots experiencing chronic pain.

Studies have shown that it can be used for a range of disorders and ailments, from osteoarthritis and diabetes to dementia.

Curcumin has well-established anti-inflammatory properties for any number of chronic health conditions. A 2013 article in Biofactors suggests that curcumin works by suppressing the mechanisms of actions that lead to chronic inflammation.

This 2014 study on BCM-95 noted that the ‘anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin may account for its increased effectiveness in patients with depression and that this nutraceutical may provide a safe and effective treatment for individuals suffering from a major psychiatric disorder.’

Covid
Curcumin’s pharmacological abilities as an anti-inflammatory agent may even be able to help with inflammation caused by Covid-19.

In the largest study of its kind to date, the UK’s International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC), supported by the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium (UK-CIC), has identified new biomarkers of inflammation that both indicate the severity of Covid-19 and distinguish it from severe influenza.

In a study in Science Immunology, clusters of inflammatory disease markers (including two called GM-CSF and IL-6) increase in accordance with Covid-19 severity, giving insights into the causes of severe disease and potentially offering a new focus for therapy.

Evidence shows that pre-treatment with curcumin lowered levels of GM-CSF and in this experiment the level of IL-6 was significantly decreased in the group of rats treated with curcumin.

‘We all need the best possible protection against a viral infection and pre-treatment with curcumin may save many people from complications from coronavirus; next winter it would be wise to have a few BCM-95 bottles in everyone’s pantry,’ says Suphil Philipose from BioTurm Limited.

He cites evidence by Dr. Pradyut Waghray, a senior consultant pulmonologist to the Indian Armed Forces based in Hyderabad who has 32 years’ experience in this field. In a video, Dr. Waghray talks about evidence-based events he has seen in his patients on the role of curcumin in preventing the entry of the virus into the cells, inhibiting the multiplication of the virus and preventing the cytokine storm which can result in rapid worsening and even death of the patient.

BioTurm is keen to invest in further clinical trials and would like to hear from researchers and scientists based in Scotland, particularly to build on the findings published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry from 2018.

A twice-daily dose of curcumin extract for 18 months improved memory and was linked to changes in two hallmark Alzheimer’s proteins, amyloid and tau.

This could hold benefits for the brain in healthy individuals over 50 for its memory benefits.

(Source: Promoted by Bioturm Limited – The Scotsman – 3rd May, 2021)

III. Personal Growth

12 The value of minimalism

The less you own, the less you have to take care of.
The less you own, the less you have to replace.
The less you own, the less money you need to earn.
The less you own, the more time you have for other things (and people).
The less you own, the less things you need to protect.

It’s not always easy to want less, but we’re capable of doing it. It starts with appreciating what we already have.

While we’re thinking about what we don’t have, we’re forgetting about what we do have. We have more than we usually realise. And we don’t need many of the things we think we need.

It’s part of human psychology to gain something and shortly thereafter start thinking about what else we can get. It’s also our nature to vehemently protect what we have (even blessings that come our way unexpectedly, and unearned). The way to combat this is to regularly be thankful for what we have.

Minimalism isn’t about depriving yourself of comfort. It’s not about having a poverty mindset. It’s about removing distractions from your life. Having fewer wants can greatly uncomplicate your life.

It doesn’t mean we can’t be wealthy (if we have everything we need, we’re wealthy). It’s about not pursuing wealth as a way of fulfilling yourself spiritually. It’s about not allowing what you own to own you. It’s about not allowing your possessions to blind you from the things that are most important in life.

We all want to be comfortable and not have to worry about money. There’s nothing wrong with that. I wish we could all have that. Maybe one day everyone will. But don’t think that the more you have, the happier you’ll be. That’s true only to an extent.

Part of having more is wanting less. Being content with less is itself an increase.

(Source: Dan Pedersen-Personal Growth –April, 2021)

IV. Economy

13  India needs its own cryptocurrency unicorns, suggest experts

India is no longer a niche market but rather a rapidly expanding financial market. And India requires its own cryptocurrency unicorns.

Stressing that India needs smart and sensible crypto regulation, leading cryptocurrency players in the country have urged the Government against the ban (on cryptocurrency) and sought engagement to build consensus on crypto regulation.

The Government earlier indicated that it would take a ‘calibrated approach’ towards digital assets and formulating a Bill on cryptocurrencies. But a final decision is yet to be taken.

At a webinar organised by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and its Blockchain and Crypto Assets Council (BACC) members, the stakeholders said that consultation and dissemination of information between the Government and the industry is crucial to determining the most appropriate regulatory framework and supporting innovation.

‘There are over 1.5 crore Indians holding over Rs. 1,500 crore worth crypto-assets. India is no longer a niche market, but a rapidly growing finance market. Despite the growth in crypto adoption, India is behind in terms of both regulations as well as number of successful crypto startups,’ said Nischal Shetty, CEO, WazirX.

‘India needs its own crypto unicorns and better regulations and for this we must encourage our entrepreneurs to build for crypto,’ he added.

Framing an appropriate regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies and crypto-assets continues to be a challenge with countries taking differing approaches to finding a solution.

In this regard, the experts said that it would be useful to consider the approach of other jurisdictions such as Singapore that has taken a balanced approach with regulations aimed at preventing nefarious activity without impeding technology innovation.

‘India and Singapore are both emerging as Fintech hubs and we hope that regulation in India will catch up soon with global best practices,’ said Vivek Kathpalia, Head, Singapore Office and Leader, Technology Law, Nishith Desai Associates.

Stressing the need for collaborative effort amongst regulators and industry, Sriram Chakravarthi, Counsel, Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP, stated that ‘in order to create an effective regulatory framework, Governments should collaborate with the crypto-industry and representative bodies and consider international approaches – particularly on the cross-border aspects of crypto-regulation’.

(Source: International Business Times – By IANS – 15th May, 2021)