Until now, most of the foil is transported to landfills or burned

A researcher from the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the University of Queens in Belfast (UK) Ahmed Osman received a pure aluminum single crystal from contaminated foil. The project is implemented within the framework of the university research program “Sustainable Energy”. The results of the study, published in the scientific journal Nature Scientific Reports, are reported on the university’s website.
According to the scientist, the idea to rework the foil came to him during a walk around the university. “I walked through the laboratories in Queens and saw a lot of aluminum foil used.” After talking with my colleagues, I conducted an experiment and was amazed at how pure the single crystals were, “I did not expect a 100% effect.” The resulting alumina (alumina) is more pure , Than a commercial analogue, “Osman said.
According to the scientist, from the obtained crystals it is possible to create a catalyst (a substance that accelerates the chemical reaction) for the production of dimethyl ether – environmentally friendly fuel for diesel engines. It is practically not inferior to diesel fuel in efficiency, but it produces less CO2 emissions and does not contain sulfur.
Technology will help solve the problem of aluminum waste. While pure metal is successfully recycled, most of the foil is sent to landfills or burned. Packaging material, as a rule, is contaminated with organic matter, and it can not be processed. About 20 thousand tons of foil is thrown out annually. Only in Great Britain in 2001 there were 160 thousand tons of aluminum on the landfills.
According to Osman, the production of a catalyst made of foil is almost two times cheaper than from primary raw materials (costs £ 120 and £ 305, respectively). As the scientist hopes, the technology will reduce the production of aluminum from bauxite (rock) and reduce the damage to nature. When processing the ore, a red mud is formed – a mixture of oxides of iron, silicon and titanium. These wastes are practically impossible to utilize. During the industrial process, greenhouse gases are also released.
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), aluminum production has a carcinogenic effect on humans. According to expert calculations, processing 1 kg of aluminum foil would save 8 kg of bauxite, prevented the release of 4 kg of chemicals and saved 14 kW of electricity.

 

Http://tass.ru