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Pakistani scientific study:
Bio-fuel from waste tea
Shirley Wijesinghe
Waste tea leaves could be a cheap source of bio-fuel that does not
affect the global food security, a Pakistan scientific study disclosed.
Researchers from the Nanoscience and Catalysis Division at
Quaid-i-Azam University used a nanocatalyst, metal nanoparticles that
accelerate reactions, to produce bio-diesel from used tea leaves.
“The world today is consuming several million tonnes of tea yearly.
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Making use of waste |
| * Used tea
leaves converted
* Dried tea mixed with cobalt
nanocatalyst
* Heated in chamber to 300
degrees Celsius |
This method could be utilized to produce alternative energy,”
researcher pointed out.
According to their study report the researchers converted used leaves
from the tea plant Camellia sinensis. Firstly, in a process called
gasification, the dried tea is mixed with a Cobalt nanocatalyst and
heated in a chamber to 300 degrees Celsius. Then, the liquid extract
undergo a second process to produce 40 percent ethyl ester — the
bio-diesel.
In another process, researchers used the fungus Aspergillus niger to
ferment the tea, a process more cheaper but slower way to of produce
bio-diesel. A spergillus niger was grown on waste tea leaves and after a
few days, produced 57 percent bio-diesel in the form of bio-ethanol.
The annual production of black tea totaled more than 3.8 million
tonnes, according to the study. The main growers of black tea are China,
India, Kenya and Sri Lanka. |
