Izinhlelo ze-Algaeventure (AVS), ingesinye seziqalo eziningi ezintsha ezibamba iqhaza ohlelweni lokweluleka loMnyango we-ARPA-E. Yasungulwa ngo-2008, i-AVS yathola u-$5.9 wezigidi ngo-2009 ukuze kuthuthukiswe ubuchwepheshe obugxile ekutholeni amapulasitiki olwelwe. Kodwa-ke, indaba ye-AVS yaqala ngempela ekuqaleni, lapho inkampani yomzali wayo I-Univenture yanquma ukuqala umkhankaso wokufuna ezinye izindlela ezivuselelekayo esikhundleni samapulasitiki endabuko asuselwa ku-petroleum.
Ucwaningo nokuthuthukiswa kwamapulasitiki asekelwe ku-algae
Phakathi kuka-2004 no-2008, i-Univenture yahlonza isidingo sokuthola ezinye izindlela esikhundleni sepulasitiki evamile, uma kubhekwa ukwehla okungenakugwemeka kwebhizinisi layo eliyinhloko elisekelwe kuma-CD nama-DVD. Lokhu kuholele ekutheni baphenye ngemithombo ehlukene ye-biomass, bathole ulwelwe luwumthombo othembisayo. Ulwelwe alunayo nje umjikelezo wokuphila omfushane ovumela ukukhula okusheshayo, kodwa futhi awudingi umhlabathi ovundile noma amanzi ahlanzekile, ukugwema ukuncintisana nezitshalo zokudla, ngokungafani namanye ama-bioplastics asekelwe kummbila nomoba.
Ulwelwe lunikeza isixazululo esithembisayo hhayi nje ngenxa yezinga layo lokukhula ngokushesha, kodwa nangenxa yekhono lokunciphisa amandla ezinkambisweni zokukhiqiza. Ukuthola ipulasitiki ku-algae kusebenza kahle kakhulu, kudlula izindlela zendabuko ezisekelwe kuma-centrifuges asebenzisa amandla engeziwe ukuhlukanisa i-biomass emanzini. I-AVS itshale imizamo yayo ekuthuthukiseni ubuchwepheshe bokucubungula ukuze kwehliswe izindleko zokukhiqiza lolu hlobo olusha lwepulasitiki ebolayo, ibhekana nezinselele zobuchwepheshe eziyinhloko ekuvuneni nasekuqedeni ulwelwe.
Izinzuzo zemvelo zepulasitiki ye-algae
Ukuthuthukiswa kwamapulasitiki abolayo asuka kulwelwe akumele nje kuphela inketho eqhubekayo yokunciphisa i-carbon footprint ekhiqizwa imboni yepulasitiki evamile. Ubuchwepheshe balokhu kuqanjwa kabusha bungasiza ekuvuseleleni imvelo yasolwandle, njengoba ukutshala ulwelwe ngendlela efanele emapulazini olwandle alawulwayo kunciphisa ukugcwala kwe-asidi olwandle futhi kufaka isandla ezinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo. Ngokwamanye amaphrojekthi amanje, afana ne-SeaweedPack, esikhundleni sethani elilodwa nje lepulasitiki yendabuko nge-algae bioplastics kungonga amathani angu-2 okukhishwa kwe-CO2 ngonyaka.
Ukwengeza, ngokungafani namanye ama-bioplastics adinga izimo ezithile zezimboni ukuze zibole, ama-algae bioplastics anjalo 100% compostable ekhaya. Lokhu kusho ukuthi, uma sezilahliwe, zingaguqulwa zibe umquba ngaphandle kwesidingo sokufakwa okuyinkimbinkimbi, kuqhubeke nokuvala umjikelezo womnotho oyindilinga.
Ucwaningo lwamanje nezinselele zesikhathi esizayo
Okwamanje, amaphrojekthi ahlukahlukene ocwaningo bathuthukisa ukusetshenziswa kwe-algae ekukhiqizeni ama-bioplastics athengiswayo. Injalo indaba yephrojekthi ye-SEABIOPLAS, ebonise ukuthi ukutshalwa kwe-algae ezinhlelweni ezihlanganisiwe ze-aquaculture ye-multi-trophic aquaculture kungakhiqiza kanjani ama-bioplastic futhi, ngokulandelayo, kukhiqize imikhiqizo ewusizo efana nokudla kwezinhlanzi. Lolu hlobo lwezinhlelo ezithuthukisiwe luvumela okuqukethwe kukashukela ku-biomass ukuthi kuphindwe kane, isici esibalulekile ekuthuthukiseni ukusebenza kahle ekukhiqizeni i-bioplastics.
Obunye ubuchwepheshe obuthembisayo bu ukusetshenziswa kwebhaktheriya ye-Haloferax mediterranei, okugaya ama-carbohydrate akhona olwelweni ukuze kukhiqizwe i-polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), uhlobo lwe-polyester yemvelo ne-biodegradable. Le ndlela, ethuthukiswe yiNyuvesi yase-Tel Aviv, isebenzisa ama-microorganisms esikhundleni sezinqubo zamakhemikhali angcolisayo, ikhiqize amapulasitiki abolayo ngokuphelele awonakala cishe ngonyaka owodwa.
Izinkampani ezehlukene seziqalile ukusebenzisana nazo amapulasitiki asekelwe ku-algae zasolwandle, ezifana no-Sway, osungule uhlelo lokukhiqiza izikhwama ezingabolikala ezitshalweni zasolwandle ezifuywe ngendlela efanele. Lezi zinhlobo zezixazululo azibonisi nje inqubekelaphambili ebheke kumodeli womnotho oyindilinga, kodwa futhi zifaka isandla ekwehliseni umthelela wemvelo wamapulasitiki asetshenziswa kanye.
Kafushane, izinhlelo ezifana nalezo ze-AVS, i-Univenture nabanye abadlali bamazwe ngamazwe zibonisa ukuthi ukusetshenziswa kwe-algae ekukhiqizeni amapulasitiki abolayo kungaphezu kwenkolelo-mbono. I-algae bioplastics ayiyona nje enye indlela esimeme, kodwa ngentuthuko efanele, ingaba yisixazululo esiyinhloko kumapulasitiki endabuko, ukunciphisa ukuthembela kwethu emafutheni futhi inikeze isisombululo sangempela sokubhekana nemfucuza yepulasitiki.
Yebo, ulwazi luthakazelisa kakhulu kepha kufanele ngenze iphrojekthi lapho kufanele ngenze upulasitiki ngaphandle kokusebenzisa u-oyela angazi noma ungangisiza yini. Ngiyabonga.