Scientists have turned polystyrene waste into an endless source of clean energy

Researchers from Australia and Latvia have discovered a way to turn useless polystyrene waste into a source of clean and seemingly endless energy. Polystyrene has proven to be the most promising material for generating static electricity among other plastics. Static can be removed from polystyrene, accumulated and converted into free electricity. And all that is needed for the creation of charges is just an air flow through the polystyrene plates.

Image source: RMIT

Polystyrene, used primarily for packaging, is produced annually in the amount of 25 million tons. After use, it mostly ends up in landfills. Only a small part of this material is recycled. The properties of polystyrene make it long-term decomposition waste – up to 500 years or more. But these same qualities made it the best choice for creating electrostatic generators.

Scientists from Australia’s RMIT University and the Latvian Technical University in Riga have discovered that thin polystyrene plates blown by air actively generate static electricity. The plates must be ten times thinner than a human hair. The movement of air between them causes them to rub against each other and generate a static charge, which is then sent to charge the capacitor and further into the electrical circuit.

Image source: Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research 2024

Scientists propose installing such an installation for generating electricity from many parallel polystyrene plates in places where there is constant air movement. For example, in ventilation systems. The installations will be able to feed the local network and will even save up to 5% of the consumption of air conditioners if the proposed system for collecting static electricity is integrated into the latter.

In parallel with the creation of electrostatic generators from recycled materials, researchers have studied more deeply the nature of the occurrence of static charge, which has advanced fundamental science further. And even earlier, a similar study was carried out by scientists from the USA, who studied the intricacies of the occurrence of static using the example of the fur of domestic cats. Returning to polystyrene, we note that the very idea of ​​​​recycling polystyrene is no less valuable than the invention of a way to produce energy with its help.