U-Allan Griff, ongunjiniyela wamakhemikhali, umlobeli we-PlasticsToday, kanye nomuntu ozenza iqiniso, uthole indatshana ku-MIT News egcwele amanga esayensi. Uhlanganyela imicabango yakhe.
I-MIT News ingithumele umbiko ngocwaningo olubandakanya ama-zeolite, amaminerali anezimbotshana asetshenziselwa ukwenza i-propane kusuka kuma-polyolefin alahliwe (asetshenziswe kabusha) nge-cobalt catalyst. Kwangimangaza ukuthi lesi sihloko sasingalungile futhi sidukisa kangakanani ngokwesayensi, ikakhulukazi uma sicabangela umsuka wayo eMIT.
Ama-zeolite anezimbotshana ayaziwa kakhulu. Uma abacwaningi bengasebenzisa usayizi wabo wembotshana ukuze bakhiqize ama-molecule e-3-carbon (propane), lokho kuyathandeka. Kodwa kubuza umbuzo wokuthi ingakanani ikhabhoni e-1 (i-methane) kanye ne-2-carbon (i-ethane) edlulayo nokuthi wenzani ngayo.
I-athikili iphinde iveze ukuthi ama-polyolefin agaywa kabusha ayizingcolisi ezingenamsebenzi, okuyinto engalungile ngoba azinabo ubuthi esimweni sazo esiqinile esivamile - amabhondi e-CC aqine kakhulu, amaketanga amade, ukuphinda kusebenze okuphansi. Ngingakhathazeka kakhulu ngobuthi be-cobalt kunamapulasitiki.
Ubuthi bepulasitiki obuqinile yisithombe esithandwayo esisekelwe esidingweni somuntu sokumelana nesayensi ukuze sikholwe kokungenakwenzeka, okubuyela emuva ekunethezekeni kobuntwana lapho kungekho lutho olungachazwa.
I-athikili ihlanganisa i-PET ne-PE futhi ihlanganisa umdwebo (ongenhla) webhodlela lesoda, elenziwe nge-PET, elihluke kakhulu kumakhemikhali e-polyolefin futhi seligaywe kabusha ngokwexabiso. Akubalulekile, njengoba kukhanga abantu ababona amabhodlela epulasitiki amaningi futhi bacabange ukuthi wonke amapulasitiki ayingozi.
Umdwebo futhi uyadukisa njengoba ubonisa okuphakelayo kwepulasitiki (iphunga elimnandi) kanye nokwakhiwa kwe-propylene, hhayi i-propane. Ipropylene ingase ibize ngaphezu kwepropane futhi ayidingi ama-hydrogen angeziwe. Umdwebo ubonisa nokukhiqizwa kwe-methane, engafunwa, ikakhulukazi emoyeni.
I-athikili ithi umnotho wokwenza i-propane nokuyithengisa kuyathembisa, kodwa ababhali abaniki idatha yokutshalwa kwezimali noma yokusebenza noma yokuthengisa/inani. Futhi akukho lutho ezidingweni zamandla ngama-kilowatt-amahora, okungenza inqubo ingaheheki kubantu abaningi abacabangela imvelo. Udinga ukwephula amaningi alawo mabhondi e-CC aqinile ukuze uphule uchungechunge lwe-polymer, iphutha eliyisisekelo ekusetshenzisweni kabusha kwamakhemikhali okuthuthuke kakhulu/kwamakhemikhali ngaphandle kwe-pyrolysis ethile.
Okokugcina, noma empeleni kuqala, i-athikili ibiza isithombe esidumile samapulasitiki kubantu (nezinhlanzi), singakunaki ukungakwazi kokugaya noma ukujikeleza kwegazi. Izinhlayiya zinkulu kakhulu ukuthi zingangena odongeni lwamathumbu bese zizungeza kunethiwekhi yama-capillaries. Futhi kubaluleke kangakanani, njengoba ngivame ukusho. Amanethi alahliwe angase abe yingozi ezilwaneni ezihlala emanzini, kodwa kunjalo nokubamba izinhlanzi nokuzidla.
Nokho, abantu abaningi basafuna ukukholelwa ukuthi amapulasitiki amancane angaphakathi kithi ukuze asekele isidingo sabo sokumelana nesayensi, okubaphuca ukunethezeka kwezimangaliso. Ayashesha ukubiza ipulasitiki enobuthi ngoba:
●okungekhona okwemvelo (kodwa ukuzamazama komhlaba namagciwane kungokwemvelo);
● ikhemikhali (kodwa yonke into yenziwe ngamakhemikhali, kuhlanganise namanzi, umoya, nathi);
●okuguquguqukayo (kodwa kunjalo nesimo sezulu nemizimba yethu);
● okokwenziwa (kodwa kunjalo nemithi eminingi nokudla);
●inkampani (kodwa izinkampani zihlakaniphile futhi zigcina izintengo ziphansi uma zilawulwa ngendlela efanele).
Esikwesaba ngempela thina ngokwethu—ukwenziwa ngabantu.
Akuzona kuphela izixuku ezingezona ezesayensi ezicabanga ngale ndlela. Eyethu imboni itshala imali emizamweni yokunqanda “ukungcoliswa kwepulasitiki” njengosopolitiki ababona kahle ukuthi inganekwane benza lokho okufunwa ngabavoti.
Imfucuza iyinkinga ehlukile ekungcoleni, futhi imboni yethu yepulasitiki ingakwazi futhi kufanele inciphise ukulahlekelwa kwayo. Kodwa masingakhohlwa ukuthi amapulasitiki asiza ekunciphiseni enye imfucuza - ukudla, amandla, amanzi - futhi avimbele ukukhula kwe-pathogen nokutheleleka, kodwa akubangeli lutho.
Ipulasitiki ayinabungozi kodwa abantu bafuna ibe mibi? Yebo, futhi manje mhlawumbe ubona ukuthi kungani.
Isikhathi sokuthumela: Dec-09-2022