PyroCycle - NEU

We are PyroCycle (aka Group 5 for CHME 4703 Spring 2021 at Northeastern University)! We are developing a process to recycle expanded polystyrene.

[PyroCycle - NEU @PyroCycleNEU]

Hello, everyone! We are PyroCycle (Group 5) and we've created a process to recycle expanded polystyrene (commonly known as Styrofoam) to styrene for reuse. Check out our poster and infomercial video below! #CHME4703Poster
@NU_ChemE

[PyroCycle - NEU @PyroCycleNEU]

@CHME4703GROUP20 @NU_ChemE Hi good question! The byproducts are shown in our poster (toluene and benzene) although in reality there would be some additional impurities of styrene that we can't model. These are organics and flammable, but we have plans to use/dispose of them properly in our safety analysis.

[PyroCycle - NEU @PyroCycleNEU]

Hello, everyone! We are PyroCycle (Group 5) and we've created a process to recycle expanded polystyrene (commonly known as Styrofoam) to styrene for reuse. Check out our poster and infomercial video below! #CHME4703Poster
@NU_ChemE

[PyroCycle - NEU @PyroCycleNEU]

@danteshepherd @NU_ChemE Hi Dr. Landherr, thank you for pointing that out! We are currently working on a full FMEA of the process and will take that into consideration.

[PyroCycle - NEU @PyroCycleNEU]

@RenewbleRubbish @NU_ChemE Great question! In our reaction simulation, we have optimized yield for monomer styrene as much as possible. We will be burning toluene and benzene byproducts for energy since purifying it to sell will be too costly.

[PyroCycle - NEU @PyroCycleNEU]

@BooZLD_4703 @NU_ChemE Hi BooZLD! Great question. We are planning to be based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area which currently has existing public and private Styrofoam recycling infrastructure. We will be partnering with the local government to divert this existing collection stream to our operations.

[PyroCycle - NEU @PyroCycleNEU]

@Group1034236629 @NU_ChemE 2) Plastics also have a wide range of properties depending on the specific polymer in question. Will nanocrystalline cellulose be able to match the entire plastic market or are you targeting to replace one specific type of polymer? (2/2)

[PyroCycle - NEU @PyroCycleNEU]

@Group1034236629 @NU_ChemE Hi NCC, love the poster and the mission. Two questions: 1) Plastics in general are so ubiquitous because they are generally easy to form into the final product. Can nanocrystalline cellulose match this? (1/2)

[PyroCycle - NEU @PyroCycleNEU]

@li_nfao @NU_ChemE Great update! I was just wondering if your final purity of 92.4% is consistent with industry standards. If not, what is the side effect of using a product with lower purity?

[PyroCycle - NEU @PyroCycleNEU]

@WillitsLab @NU_ChemE Good question! Traditionally, recycling polystyrene foam is much more expensive then producing new foam. And while we haven't done a full economic evaluation yet, we hope offset this cost difference with government subsidies and a higher price for our styrene.

[PyroCycle - NEU @PyroCycleNEU]

@BooZLD_4703 @NU_ChemE Hey BooZLD! Design looks great & a very exciting application. I was wondering if you plan to test acidity and/or VFA in further tests in addition to COD and BOD?

[PyroCycle - NEU @PyroCycleNEU]

@MilkyWayChemE @NU_ChemE Very interesting product idea! The pollution produced by dairy farms is a serious issue, and this is a novel concept to tackle that problem. Very clear design goals as well. How does your lab-grown milk compare to traditional cow's milk nutritionally?

-Andrew Burcham

[Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University @NU_ChemE]

Join us for the Capstone 2 Detailed Design Twitter Poster Conference starting TODAY March 31 at 12pm EST to April 2 at 12pm EST. You will find the posters on Twitter using the hashtag #CHME4703Poster and on our department Twitter page @NU_ChemE.