Topic: Roof tiles made from plastic wastes

Title: Roof tiles made out of Plastic Wastes as an Alternative for Normal Roof Tile

Rrls:

• Al-Hadithi studied the using of plastic bottle wastes with different percentages (0.5%, 1% and 1.5%) of
concrete volumes. Test results showed an improvement in both compressive and splitting tensile
strengths of concretes (Al-Hadithi, 2013).

• Bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) have been used as partial and complete substitutes
for sand in concrete composites. Various volume fractions of sand varying from 2% to 100% were
substituted by the same volume of granulated plastic, and various sizes of PET aggregates were used
(Yazoghli-marzouk et al., 2007).

• The effect of plastic wastes (PET bottles) as aggregate on properties of concrete. The results in this
study showed that these waster could reduce the weight by 2-6% of normal weight concrete and the
compressive strength was reduced up to 33% compared to that normal concrete (Choi et al., 2005).

• The waste materials considered to be recycled in this study consist of glass, plastics, and demolished
concrete. Such recycling not only helps conserve natural resources, but also helps solve a growing waste
disposal crisis. Ground plastics and glass were used to replace up to 20% of fine aggregates in concrete
mixes, while crushed concrete was used to replace up to 20% of coarse aggregates (Batayneh et al.,
2007).

• Many studies have been conducted on the use of scrap tire/rubber in mortar and concrete, and a
research work has been published by Siddique a review paper (2008) on the use of recycled plastic in
concrete (Siddique, Khatib & Kaur 2008).

• The exponential growth of plastic waste has incited a search for alternative use as recycling materials.
Building materials is an interesting outlet. In this paper, mortars containing different amounts of
polyethylene terephtalate (PET) particles, as partial replacement of sand, were prepared and
characterised by destructive and non-destructive testing. Various volume fractions of sand 3, 10, 20 and
50% were replaced by the same volume of plastic, and two different thicknesses of PET aggregates were
used. Dry density, apparent porosity, intrinsic permeability, compressive strengths and ductile
behaviour, elastic modulus, flexural strengths, ultrasonic wave velocity and thermal conductivity were
investigated. The results of this study show the feasibility of the recycling of PET plastic materials as
aggregates in cementitious materials. These new composites have low specific gravity, high level of
sound insulation, relatively weak thermal conductivity and significant ductility; moreover, the use of
plastic waste in concrete to develop new construction materials is valuable for both the construction
and the plastic recycling industries (Hannawi et al., 2010).
Topic: sugar cane

Title: Sugarcane as an Alternative for Energy Source.

Rrls:

• Sugarcane is being used for centuries as a feedstock for sugar production, and all breeding programs
around the world are producing new varieties with the objective to improve the sucrose yield per
hectare, among other properties. In Brazil, ethanol became a significant coproduct of sugar mills more
than a century ago and the first mandate to blend ethanol in the gasoline dates back to 1931. Toward
the end of the of twentieth century, many countries, including Brazil, Mauritius and Reunion Islands,
Guatemala, and India, started to generate significant amounts of surplus electricity, and this practice is
becoming a trend for new sugar/ethanol mills. With this changing picture of the sugarcane industry,
some specialists in the sector started to look at sugarcane as an energy feedstock rather than a food
feedstock in such a way that other characteristics related to total primary energy content became
important quality parameters. The second point is how efficiently this primary energy is converted to
useful energy products (ethanol and surplus electricity). Now, from the energy viewpoint, not only the
sucrose but also the fibers in the cane are important quality parameters. Taking the Brazilian average
conditions, the primary energy content of sugarcane is around 7,400 MJ/tonne of cane or 510
GJ/ha/year, and in an average distillery, less than 30 % of it is converted into useful energy products.
This work analyzes the present situation of the Brazilian sugarcane industry focused on the production
of energy products and evaluates areas for improvements and new cane breeding goals for an energy-
minded industry. The impacts of these improvements in the primary energy conversion efficiency will be
estimated, and the barriers for maximum recovery will be pointed out (Leal et al., 2012)

• The use of fossil fuels has become rather harmful for the environment in which human beings live,
especially in the urban areas of the world. Various emissions, such as sulfates, nitrates, carbon dioxide,
carbon monoxide and aerosols, into the atmosphere give rise to many undesirable consequences.
Therefore, human beings are seeking to substitute friendly alternatives for the harmful energy sources.
This paper concentrates on using bagasse, obtained in the processing of sugar cane, as a fuel for boilers
instead of fossil fuels. Basic factors in economic areas are also presented with particular emphasis on
other competitive technologies that are used in the sugar industry. At the same time, stack gas is
applied at 245°C for increasing the calorific value by removing water in 50% moisture bagasse (Kilicaslan
Ibrahim, 1999).

• Sugarcane biorefineries, the lignocellulosic portion of the sugarcane biomass (i.e. bagasse and cane
trash) can be used as fuel for electricity production and/or feedstock for second generation (2G)
ethanol. This study presents a techno-economic analysis of upgraded sugarcane biorefineries in Brazil,
aiming at utilizing surplus bagasse and cane trash for electricity and/or ethanol production. The study
investigates the trade-off on sugarcane biomass use for energy production: bioelectricity versus 2G
ethanol production. The BeWhere mixed integer and spatially explicit model is used for evaluating the
choice of technological options. Different scenarios are developed to find the optimal utilization of
sugarcane biomass. The study finds that energy prices, type of electricity substituted, biofuel support
and carbon tax, investment costs, and conversion efficiencies are the major factors influencing the
technological choice. At the existing market and technological conditions applied in the upgraded
biorefineries, 300 PJ y−1 2G ethanol could be optimally produced and exported to the EU, which
corresponds to 2.5% of total transport fuel demand in the EU. This study provides a methodological
framework on how to optimize the alternative use of agricultural residues and industrial co-products for
energy production in agro-industries considering biomass supply chains, the pattern of domestic energy
demand, and biofuel trade (Khatiwada et al., 2016).

• According to the International Sugar Organization (ISO), Sugarcane is a highly efficient converter of
solar energy, and has the highest energy-to-volume ratio among energy crops. Indeed, it gives the
highest annual yield of biomass of all species. Roughly, 1 ton of Sugarcane biomass-based on Bagasse,
foliage and ethanol output – has an energy content equivalent to one barrel of crude oil.