10 months ago

Scientists Develop Sustainable Jet Fuel From Food Waste

Scientists Develop Sustainable Jet Fuel From Food Waste
Food Waste To Flight: Scientists Make Sustainable Aviation Fuel A Reality · NDTV

Imagine taking old food that would be thrown away, like leftover vegetables or bread.

Scientists have found a special way to cook this food waste using heat and pressure, similar to how nature makes oil deep underground.

This process turns the food into a thick liquid that can then be cleaned up and turned into the same kind of fuel that airplanes use!

This new fuel is good for the planet because it uses waste that would otherwise make pollution.

It's also special because it works perfectly on its own, without needing to be mixed with regular fuel.

This could help make flying cleaner and reduce the impact on our environment.

Key facts

Institution
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Process
Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL)
Feedstock
Discarded food waste
Output
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
Standards Met
ASTM Tier Alpha and Beta pre-screening tests

Quotes

Yuanhui Zhang

A professor of agricultural and biological engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

“This technology could be applied to other types of oils to produce SAF and could even replace petroleum-based compounds used in plastics.”
NDTV
“Our research addresses both scientific and engineering challenges and allows the industry to take next steps.”
NDTV

The research team

The researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who developed the new SAF production method

“This discovery is considered a significant step toward cleaner air travel by converting large-scale waste into high-quality jet fuel.”
NDTV

Sources

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