Chemical engineering student research in contention for national award

A Sheridan Faculty of Applied Science and Technology (FAST) student research project exploring the use of thermochemical processes to convert plastic waste into valuable carbon-rich materials is in contention for a national award.

Chemical Engineering Technology graduates Vikram Pandey and Hughroy Staple will represent Ontario in next month’s inaugural National Engineering & Applied Science Technology (NEAT) Week capstone project competition after winning a provincial contest hosted by the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT).

Pandey and Staple’s project, a technical report compiled during their final year of studies, utilized a batch reactor in Sheridan's chemical engineering labs to analyze the breakdown of plastic samples at temperatures ranging from 250-280 C and a constant pressure of 1600 psig (pounds per square inch gauge). Project findings included that polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic processed at 280 C could be converted to hydrochar (a solid carbon-based material that could potentially be used as solid fuel) that shared 80 per cent of the physical properties of coal.

"The recognition our technical report has received still doesn't seem real to me. It not only highlights the hard work we put in but also the learning environment at Sheridan that enabled this to be possible," says Staple. "This project also has real-world significance exploring a way to reduce plastic pollution while creating a useful product in the process."

“The recognition our technical report has received... not only highlights the hard work we put in but also the learning environment at Sheridan that enabled this to be possible.”

– Chemical Engineering Technology graduate Hughroy Staple

More than 460 million metric tons of plastic are produced every year, two-thirds of which are short-lived products which soon become waste. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, plastic production is expected to double over the next 20 years.

"Quite a bit of research has been done into the use of hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) to convert organic material into carbon, but there hasn't been a lot of research into its potential to do the same with plastic," says chemical engineering professor Anita Usas Neving, who joined Manju Sunil Varghese as the project's faculty mentors. "I'm very impressed by what Vikram and Hughroy were able to accomplish in a short period of time."

Pandey and Staple say they share the project's success with FAST professors, staff and students who have previously researched HTC as their third-year technical report.

"We were able to learn from the data from past HTC research and improvise on it," Pandey says. "Faculty and technologists were extremely supportive, ensured our work was done safely, and provided costly materials such as plastic pellets and nitrogen gas. We were also very well prepared by our previous two years of studies, and our professors were very accommodating by changing schedules of our tests and assignments."

“I'm very impressed by what Vikram and Hughroy were able to accomplish in a short period of time.”

– Chemical engineering professor Anita Usas Neving

Pandey and Staple came to Sheridan as international students from India and Jamaica, respectively. They graduated earlier this fall and are currently working full-time in industry — Pandey is an HVAC Operational Engineer and Staple is a Chemical Engineering Technologist — but hope to resume their HTC plastic waste research in the future.

NEAT Week, presented by Technology Professionals Canada and its nine provincial member organizations (including OACETT), will take place online from Nov. 25-29. NEAT's national capstone project competition will feature three finalists selected from the nine provincial champions who will present their projects during a webinar, with the winners being chosen via audience vote.

Pictured in body of article are Chemical Engineering Technology graduates Vikram Pandey (left) and Hughroy Staple, standing in front of a batch reactor in one of Sheridan's chemical engineering labs

Learn more about Sheridan's Chemical Engineering Technology program.