Amid attempts to manage waste or garbage from industries, researchers of Khon Kaen University do not only see the importance in solving the problem under SDG: Zero waste, but have also worked until making wastes valuable or the global industrial today trend “Waste to Value”.
(Left) Assoc. Prof. Yuwarat Ngoenyen, Ph.D., a lecturer of the Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and (Right) Miss Chadlada Chaiwong, a graduate student
Assoc. Prof. Yuwarat Ngoenyen, Ph.D., a lecturer of the Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering of Khon Kaen University and Miss Chadlada Chaiwong, a graduate student, together with a team of undergraduate students joined the popular brand, “Teng Nueng Grass Jelly” to use the pulp of jelly grass which is the waste from the production process that would otherwise buried as waste, to add to its value until it turns into a pellet fuel product.
“Our research team is the first in the world to use the jelly grass pulp to make pellet fuel and contaminant absorber. The products are of high efficiency and they successfully upgrade ‘Zero Waste’ to ‘Waste to Value’”.
With the property of jelly grass pulp that gives high thermal value, its manufacturing into pellet fuel will even more reduce the space in storing and the cost of transportation. The product is very strong and highly resistant. It does not need any additive in pelleting, and thus reducing the cost of production. This is different from the production of other biomass products. Moreover, the properties meet the standard set for pellet fuel industry.
That is not all. Assoc. Prof. Yuwarat Ngoenyen also introduced us the Biochar and Activated carbon, commonly known as charcoal, which is a mixture of various products. The research team brought the jelly grass pulp to undergo a process of pore making by the use of heat and chemicals to add the material surface with the absorbent property, before developing it in wastewater treatment. The product absorbs Ibuprofen, a contaminant in water sources, and absorbs Methylene Blue Dye, which is famous in many industries in order to reduce pollution residues in the environment.
“The efficiency of biochar from jelly grass pulp is higher than that of corn or sunflower seeds, including activated carbon from other biomass materials.”
Assoc. Prof. Yuwarat Ngoenyen smiled and said that the research work that became these products showed the potentiality of jelly grass, which is not second to other biomasses. After this the research team will still be working on developing products from jelly grass pulp, especially by adding value to remaining ash from combustion of pellet fuel, for example, making concrete blocks from ask remains. This requires working with other fields. The research will not just stand on the shelf.
News: Apirada Sompak, a 4th year student of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Edited by: Watchara Noichompoo