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GeneralRe: Binary search outperforms linear Pin
MarkTJohnson25-Mar-24 3:11
professionalMarkTJohnson25-Mar-24 3:11 
GeneralRe: Binary search outperforms linear Pin
charlieg31-Mar-24 4:29
charlieg31-Mar-24 4:29 
GeneralRe: Binary search outperforms linear Pin
OriginalGriff24-Mar-24 20:16
mveOriginalGriff24-Mar-24 20:16 
GeneralRe: Binary search outperforms linear Pin
Peter_in_278024-Mar-24 20:44
professionalPeter_in_278024-Mar-24 20:44 
GeneralRe: Binary search outperforms linear Pin
OriginalGriff25-Mar-24 2:20
mveOriginalGriff25-Mar-24 2:20 
GeneralRe: Binary search outperforms linear Pin
obermd25-Mar-24 3:52
obermd25-Mar-24 3:52 
GeneralRe: Binary search outperforms linear Pin
StarNamer@work25-Mar-24 9:27
professionalStarNamer@work25-Mar-24 9:27 
GeneralDrowning in Plastic Pin
Gary Stachelski 202124-Mar-24 5:40
Gary Stachelski 202124-Mar-24 5:40 
We've seen the reports of the global problem with plastic waste management or lack of management. Plastics come in a whole range of types identified by the little recycling triangle with the number inside. We can only handle a few the the types in recycling processes that chop up or pelletize the specific type of plastic for reuse in building materials or the rare case where they can actually be melted down and reused. But separating the plastics by the numeric type is nearly impossible.
Since all plastics (regardless of type) are simply carbon chains, why not handle their recycling as we do other materials that have long carbon chains (thinking of oil here). We distill oil products from randomized hydrocarbon chains by refining the oil in a heat process that breaks the chains into smaller more uniform ones. The specific weights of the chains naturally cause the chains to accumulate and allow for the refinery to draw them off into useful homogeneous groups. (The process is anaerobic because you know heat and hydrocarbons equals balls of fire). So there is a lot of knowledge about refining oil. What if that was applied to plastics.

It turns out that a heat of around 600C to 700C will break the plastic hydrocarbon chains back into the monomers that are useful in all plastic formulations. We have a lot of closed or unused refineries in the US. Why not revive one and build a generalized plastic refinery where we could simply dump any grade of plastic into the stack, cook it and draw off the useful monomers?

Cost is one.
It would be costly to revive an abandoned refinery.

Reliable heat source.
Gas would be one source but a polluting one.
One of the new class of small Thorium reactors that the Japanese are working on would be another. The reactor runs at about 1800C to 2000C and generates super heated steam for power generation. The waste heat after generation is still at about 800C so perfect for use in the refinery stack. (Japanese want to use the waste heat to generate cheap Hydrogen gas for use in electric vehicles)

Contamination of the monomers.
There is a lot of junk that is bonded to the plastics that can survive the heating cycle. This needs to be segregated and either removed or shunted to another process to remove the specific contamination. There are several universities that are researching catalysts to remove contaminants from plastic production but research funds are tight, so progress is very slow.
The contamination issue needs to be addressed since this is a major stopping point. Using oil is just cheaper because it is contamination free.

Political issues.
The currently entrenched plastic producers would complain that they are being unfairly competed against by a government funded enterprise.

We have the technology.
We have smart people to work out the kinks.
But do we have the will power to do a hard thing?

I hate to say this, "But government funded research and development is the only method of getting this done. No business would ever risk the losses to try it, even if it meant that we were polluting ourselves to death."

Just a thought for today.
Make it a good one!
GeneralRe: Drowning in Plastic Pin
Mike Hankey24-Mar-24 6:09
mveMike Hankey24-Mar-24 6:09 
GeneralRe: Drowning in Plastic Pin
k505424-Mar-24 6:26
mvek505424-Mar-24 6:26 
GeneralRe: Drowning in Plastic Pin
RickZeeland24-Mar-24 7:43
mveRickZeeland24-Mar-24 7:43 
GeneralRe: Drowning in Plastic Pin
trønderen24-Mar-24 11:04
trønderen24-Mar-24 11:04 
GeneralRe: Drowning in Plastic Pin
trønderen24-Mar-24 11:18
trønderen24-Mar-24 11:18 
GeneralRe: Drowning in Plastic Pin
Gary Stachelski 202124-Mar-24 14:05
Gary Stachelski 202124-Mar-24 14:05 
GeneralRe: Drowning in Plastic Pin
Peter_in_278024-Mar-24 14:21
professionalPeter_in_278024-Mar-24 14:21 
GeneralRe: Drowning in Plastic Pin
Gary Stachelski 202125-Mar-24 7:49
Gary Stachelski 202125-Mar-24 7:49 
GeneralRe: Drowning in Plastic Pin
Rage24-Mar-24 22:19
professionalRage24-Mar-24 22:19 
GeneralRe: Drowning in Plastic Pin
Gary Stachelski 202125-Mar-24 8:20
Gary Stachelski 202125-Mar-24 8:20 
GeneralWordle 1,009 Pin
OriginalGriff23-Mar-24 20:42
mveOriginalGriff23-Mar-24 20:42 
GeneralRe: Wordle 1,009 - 4 4 me Pin
pkfox23-Mar-24 22:02
professionalpkfox23-Mar-24 22:02 
GeneralRe: Wordle 1,009 Pin
GKP199223-Mar-24 23:27
professionalGKP199223-Mar-24 23:27 
GeneralRe: Wordle 1,009 Pin
Amarnath S24-Mar-24 0:30
professionalAmarnath S24-Mar-24 0:30 
GeneralRe: Wordle 1,009 (4/6) Pin
Jeremy Falcon24-Mar-24 4:31
professionalJeremy Falcon24-Mar-24 4:31 
GeneralRe: Wordle 1,009 Pin
Cp-Coder24-Mar-24 8:21
Cp-Coder24-Mar-24 8:21 
GeneralRe: Wordle 1,009 Pin
StarNamer@work24-Mar-24 13:42
professionalStarNamer@work24-Mar-24 13:42 

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