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.

admin

Share
Published by
admin

Recent Posts

Despelote — goo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ol! Review

One of my first memories (or perhaps the very first one – is it possible…

22 hours ago

Design and specifications of the flagship smartphone Sony Xperia 1 VII leaked online

A few days before the official presentation, details about the new flagship Sony Xperia 1…

22 hours ago

GTA VI Delay to 2026 Causes New Panic Among Game Developers

Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier reported on the domino effect triggered by the recent delay of…

23 hours ago

Nintendo warns it will block consoles for users who engage in piracy and hacking

Nintendo has updated its user agreement, formalizing the right to remotely disable Switch consoles if…

24 hours ago

Gigabyte Unveils X870 and B850 Aorus Stealth Motherboards with Back-Side Power Connectors

Gigabyte has unveiled the X870 Aorus Stealth and B850 Aorus Stealth motherboards for Ryzen 7000,…

1 day ago

Alienware Unveils Thin, Affordable Aurora 16 and 16X Gaming Laptops with Understated Designs

Alienware, a subsidiary of Dell known for its futuristic gaming laptops, has released new high-performance…

2 days ago