Plastic waste from millions of cars scrapped every year could be upcycled to make the world’s strongest known material for reuse on the production line, scientists have found.
Researchers in Texas retrieved plastic found in cars destined for landfill and turned it into graphene – the ultra-thin, stretchy material used to strengthen car parts, said a paper in Communications Engineering.
The process of upcycling the waste — recycling a product into material more valuable than the original — was found to be more environmentally friendly than traditional techniques, using less water and energy.
The practice could also save money with new graphene costing up to $200,000 a tonne, the researchers said.
With 1.4 billion cars on the road worldwide, “responsible disposal of vehicles at the end of life is a pressing environmental concern”, said the paper. The authors said commercialisation of the process was about four years away.
Two researchers from the University of Manchester in the UK won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2010 for extracting graphene from a piece of graphite.
The flexible, carbon-based material, with the thickness of only one atom, conducts electricity and heat and is 200 times as strong as steel. Few industrial purposes have been found for the substance but it is used by motor manufacturers to strengthen car parts and reduce noise.
The researchers found the 1 trillion kilograms of car plastic waste destined for the scrapheap each year could be converted to graphene using a flash of electricity in a process known as flash joule heating.
The researchers found they could mix together different shredded plastics, using bumpers, mats, seating and door parts from a Ford pickup to create their graphene. They said that it had the same qualities as graphene made from scratch.
"This provides an avenue for the upcycling of huge amounts of waste plastic, much of which is engineering plastic and cannot be recycled anyway," said one of the authors, James Tour, of Rice University in Houston, Texas. "It can have profound implications in the automotive industry."
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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The finalists
Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho
Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson
Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)
Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid
Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola
Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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Price: On request
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
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Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
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%3Cp%3EEncourage%20innovation%20in%20the%20metaverse%20field%20and%20boost%20economic%20contribution%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20outstanding%20talents%20through%20education%20and%20training%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20applications%20and%20the%20way%20they%20are%20used%20in%20Dubai's%20government%20institutions%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAdopt%2C%20expand%20and%20promote%20secure%20platforms%20globally%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20the%20infrastructure%20and%20regulations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
