Japanese Man Makes Plastic into Oil

[4484448444844484]

wait...isn't plastic made of oil in the first place? We could just make less plastic...

 

[BlumiereBleck]

HA! Solved the oil crisis!

 

[The Austin]

Well, seeing as plastic IS oil, I don't see why it would be too hard.

 

[Femaref]

This has been done in research for over a decade now, it is hardly news unless it is energy efficient. Problem with many theories is the consumption of energy, ie. you need much more energy for the process than you get out of the end product. If he manages this to a certain degree, I would be impressed.

 

[ghostalker.cepo]

-snip

Erm not really? I learnt this in 11th grade (or year ten). Plastics are made from hydrocarbons that also make up oil, except they are all more complicated in the plastics. Seeing as you can brake larger hydrocarbons into smaller onces it isnt that amazing. This man has just turned theory into practice. The concept has been around for YONKS but the actuall invention is here now.

Oh wow, if you knew all that how come you didn't invent it? Seriously reconsider what you're saying because while it may have been theoretically possible, it's much harder to rebuild oil molecules than just knowing that they're broken down into plastics. You're just showing off something you remember/just learnt from chemistry class. The technology itself is an amazing breakthrough, and could, if used well, help rejuvenate the world's economy.

 

[Jack_Uzi]

That is pretty good news! I really hope that the process of it all isn't too polluting or costs too much energy. A while ago, I've seen a docu called: the coconut revolution. They made crude coconut oil for their disel cars to drive on. All one needed was about 15 coconuts for 1 liter and the mileage was even better!!

 

[HotFezz8]

hmmmm... innnnnnterrrrrrresting...

wonder if that would actually reduce CO2?

 

[Plazmatic]

Wow. This is amazing, guys. I mean, maybe I just have been living under a rock, and this has been around for a lot longer than I thought, but I still think it's amazing. Lots of people I have talked to about it haven't heard of it yet, so I want to bring some attention to it.

What do you guys think? Is this going to be awesome, or could it possibly be a bad thing? (Some people think we don't even need oil anymore, etc.)

If you think it's the least bit useful or interesting or anything, send this to your friends and stuff like that. I think this deserves the attention, and if this just got buried by the oil companies and things like this, it'd suck.

I fail to see how this is so amazing, since plastic has a lot of the base components that oil has. Also we shouldn't be encouraging the use and make of oil. This man, instead of turning plastic into oil, should have better spent his time turning OIL INTO plastic, we need to conserve plastic, as it has many uses, and in the future, could even be used as a self repairing material. Destroying plastic is detrimental to humanity.

this is probably one of the most useless inventions to man.

 

[Ashendarei]

definately awesome, it'd be nice to see these go out for retail (or better yet a DIY project where you could make one).

It'd be worth it just to have something we could use to get rid of all the non-bio degradable plastics that get thrown away.

 

[dietpeachsnapple]

The directions I am seeing this going.

First, people playing this down as unimpressive.
I disagree. If someone has generated a mechanism, based on WHATEVER already present theory, that can turn non-biodegradable trash into a fuel source (or ANY useful product), then it is worthy of accolades, not derision.

Second, that it is likely not a fuel efficient method of dealing with plastic, arguing that it will take more energy to make the oil, than it will generate through the oil. A completely valid argument, however, I would counter with two points. One, this would still lessen the size and impact of many landfills, even generating the possibility that we may be able to use it as a clean up method for areas where trash has accumulated to a hazardous level. Two, we are only seeing this work on a small scale, researched at the individual level. The potential for this to garner a viable solution is promising.

But that's what recyling is for... you take old plastic bottles and you turn them into more plastic bottles ....

What are you going to do with oil other than process it into differing types of petrochemicals like plastics or fuel/motor oil/etc?

Essentially the guy is taking a processed good and turning into something that needs further refining which costs more energy and produces more waste. And I doubt the process is as efficient as turning a plastic bottle into another plastic bottle.

I think the old quote I'm looking for is 'Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.'

Or perhaps most fittingly would be ... "Don't fix what ain't broke"

I have not claimed, nor shall I, that this is in need of immediate and broad implementation.

That we CAN advance science in this way, means PRECISELY that we should! No one is being harmed by this, nor is this something that wallows in such arbitrary silliness that it is unworthy of investigation!

I am looking at this with a gleeful sense of optimism, and am making statements to that effect alone. My statement, "...we are only seeing this work on a small scale, researched at the individual level. The potential for this to garner a viable solution is promising." encompasses my entire argument set.

If you would like me to further qualify my optimism, I would be happy to do so. As it is, the saying, "prepare for the worst, but hope for the best," is reasonable.

 

[ZydrateDealer]

Hahahaha the oil companies wouldn't bury this discovery they only drill for oil, setting up plants to convert the plastic into oil would cost a fair bit; they'd need to earn a lot of profit to cover the cost. Peace loving flower children always seem quite broke so I doubt any of them could afford to do this either.

ALSO

All this talk I see about reducing CO2 emissions is retarded...look CO2 was created in the manufacture of the plastics, CO2 is formed in the conversion process by the machinary used to refine the plastics...just because CO2 isn't emitted from the platic itself doesn't mean there are no emissions. Yeah alright there would be less plastic in landfills but it won't stop global warming as it's a natural cycle and not an appocalypse scenario, infact the way in which developed countries' depend on fossil fuel will kill us all. When we begin to fight over what little remains and then nuclear warfare...possibly. The way to avoid this is by developing a new fuel.

 

[BlindMessiah94]

Wow, amazing. I hope it catches on but I'm a bit of a conspiracy theorist when it comes to the oil industry. Wouldn't this cripple them? I mean garbage is everywhere. This machine looks easy to produce and is probably more affordable than our current oil drilling process. Imagine one in each home. Instead of chucking out your garbage, you put in the machine.

Where can I get one?

My scooter needs gas man.


EDIT: Also to everyone complaining that it won't solve global warning, and that the idea is pointless as we should be recycling etc. I have to say I don't give two shakes about all that. What I do care about is the fact that garbage is in landfills right now. No one is motivated to recycle because it is easier to chuck your bottles out than to haul them in for a measly nickel. But a machine that basically turns garbage into money? That will help reduce landfills at the very least which I think is important.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

The directions I am seeing this going.

First, people playing this down as unimpressive.
I disagree. If someone has generated a mechanism, based on WHATEVER already present theory, that can turn non-biodegradable trash into a fuel source (or ANY useful product), then it is worthy of accolades, not derision.

Second, that it is likely not a fuel efficient method of dealing with plastic, arguing that it will take more energy to make the oil, than it will generate through the oil. A completely valid argument, however, I would counter with two points. One, this would still lessen the size and impact of many landfills, even generating the possibility that we may be able to use it as a clean up method for areas where trash has accumulated to a hazardous level. Two, we are only seeing this work on a small scale, researched at the individual level. The potential for this to garner a viable solution is promising.

But that's what recyling is for... you take old plastic bottles and you turn them into more plastic bottles ....

What are you going to do with oil other than process it into differing types of petrochemicals like plastics or fuel/motor oil/etc?

Essentially the guy is taking a processed good and turning into something that needs further refining which costs more energy and produces more waste. And I doubt the process is as efficient as turning a plastic bottle into another plastic bottle.

I think the old quote I'm looking for is 'Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.'

Or perhaps most fittingly would be ... "Don't fix what ain't broke"

I have not claimed, nor shall I, that this is in need of immediate and broad implementation.

That we CAN advance science in this way, means PRECISELY that we should! No one is being harmed by this, nor is this something that wallows in such arbitrary silliness that it is unworthy of investigation!

I am looking at this with a gleeful sense of optimism, and am making statements to that effect alone. My statement, "...we are only seeing this work on a small scale, researched at the individual level. The potential for this to garner a viable solution is promising." encompasses my entire argument set.

If you would like me to further qualify my optimism, I would be happy to do so. As it is, the saying, "prepare for the worst, but hope for the best," is reasonable.

But it doesn't do anything other than take a processed good and reverts it. Logic states that if you take a chemical compound and change it through processing you aren't going to get equal or more than the amount of matter as the end product you began the process with right?

For example ... lets say I melt down the metal of a car ... the metal in the car weighs 500 kilos ... I ain't going to get exactly 500 kilos of metal from the car after I melt it down. No matter how hard I try, I will not get the same amount of metal from that car as what went in to make it.

There is naturally going to be waste. I might get 99.99999999999999% of metal ... but I won't get 100%. And I certainly won't get 101%.

So what this guy is doing ... is taking plastic which can be turned into other plastics more efficiently ... and turning it into something that is used to make plastics ... so that it will go back into making more plastics...

I'm kinda confused as to see how this is a good idea ... at all.

Current recycling technology would be cheaper to install in more places and will logically be more effective than any type of plastic - oil conversion kit could be. I mean it's like taking a concept like car accidents and traffic jams and saying it'd be a good idea if everybody just went off and bought airplanes.

Certainly won't get any traffic jams if everybody used an airplane... therefore it must be a step in the right direction!

Don't get me wrong, I'm curious about it ... but mroeso curious about how a guy smart enough to do something like this would also overlook the fact that it's a logical fallacy that polastic - oil - plastic conversion could possibly be more efficient than, say, a plastic - plastic conversion.

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

This is actually pretty amazing, I had never heard of it before. Why isn't this guy in the papers or something?

Also, I think you may want to change your title from "Makes Oil into Plastic" to "Makes Plastic into Oil".

Oh wow, that was stupid of me. Hahah.

Haha!
Tomorrow's headline, Man Makes Milk into Cheese' ;D

 

[dietpeachsnapple]

The directions I am seeing this going.

First, people playing this down as unimpressive.
I disagree. If someone has generated a mechanism, based on WHATEVER already present theory, that can turn non-biodegradable trash into a fuel source (or ANY useful product), then it is worthy of accolades, not derision.

Second, that it is likely not a fuel efficient method of dealing with plastic, arguing that it will take more energy to make the oil, than it will generate through the oil. A completely valid argument, however, I would counter with two points. One, this would still lessen the size and impact of many landfills, even generating the possibility that we may be able to use it as a clean up method for areas where trash has accumulated to a hazardous level. Two, we are only seeing this work on a small scale, researched at the individual level. The potential for this to garner a viable solution is promising.

But that's what recyling is for... you take old plastic bottles and you turn them into more plastic bottles ....

What are you going to do with oil other than process it into differing types of petrochemicals like plastics or fuel/motor oil/etc?

Essentially the guy is taking a processed good and turning into something that needs further refining which costs more energy and produces more waste. And I doubt the process is as efficient as turning a plastic bottle into another plastic bottle.

I think the old quote I'm looking for is 'Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.'

Or perhaps most fittingly would be ... "Don't fix what ain't broke"

I have not claimed, nor shall I, that this is in need of immediate and broad implementation.

That we CAN advance science in this way, means PRECISELY that we should! No one is being harmed by this, nor is this something that wallows in such arbitrary silliness that it is unworthy of investigation!

I am looking at this with a gleeful sense of optimism, and am making statements to that effect alone. My statement, "...we are only seeing this work on a small scale, researched at the individual level. The potential for this to garner a viable solution is promising." encompasses my entire argument set.

If you would like me to further qualify my optimism, I would be happy to do so. As it is, the saying, "prepare for the worst, but hope for the best," is reasonable.

But it doesn't do anything other than take a processed good and reverts it. Logic states that if you take a chemical compound and change it through processing you aren't going to get equal or more than the amount of matter as the end product you began the process with right?

So what this guy is doing ... is taking plastic which can be turned into other plastics more efficiently ... and turning it into something that is used to make plastics ... so that it will go back into making more plastics...

I'm kinda confused as to see how this is a good idea ... at all.

Current recycling technology would be cheaper to install in more places and will logically be more effective than any type of plastic - oil conversion kit could be. I mean it's like taking a concept like car accidents and traffic jams and saying it'd be a good idea if everybody just went off and bought airplanes.

Certainly won't get any traffic jams if everybody used an airplane... therefore it must be a step in the right direction, right?

Don't get me wrong, I'm curious about it ... but mroeso curious about how a guy smart enough to do something like this would also overlook the fact that it's a logical fallacy that polastic - oil - plastic conversion could possibly be more efficient than, say, a plastic - plastic conversion.

Then I must advise that you and I will simply have to agree to disagree on the matter, which is fine, in my opinion. We have placed different priorities on the matter, and are thus interpreting the situation in different fashions.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

pretty interesting; plastic prices are especially bad as well and we do need more oil. If this could be done on a mass scale it could lower landfill sizes so land could used for, y'know, MORE PRODUCTIVE THINGS

 

[CrazyMedic]

Am I the only one who is noticing how when people question the fact that this isn't some super fantastic willy wonka invention he gets really defensive.

 

[no oneder]

The first thing to come to my head:
"Great, now the Japanese have found some other use for their plastic sex dolls."

That being said, I think it's pretty swell. Renewable sources of energy are always welcome.

 

[quantumsoul]

Isn't that a bit like making a device that makes sand out of computer chips?

What use would it be exactly? I think you can make plastics out of things other than oil so maybe if you absolutely desperately needed oil and nothing else would do you could go through the rigmarole of making 'synthetic' plastic and then converting it into oil...

Am I totally missing the point here? I'm not sure...

The point is rather then burning waste plastic it can be converted to oil and then refined into fuel. Particularity useful in countries that have to import all their oil like Japan.

Also the inventor is spreading the idea that what is perceived as trash can be converted into something usable, rather letting it pile up. Kind of like recycling but changing the material into something very different rather than back into itself.