Clinical-stage oncology company PharmAust Limited’s (ASX: PAA) wholly owned subsidiary, Epichem Pty Ltd, has completed the Oxidative Hydrothermal Dissolution (OHD) e-waste project funded by the WA Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation (JTSI).
The project yielded promising results and as a result Epichem will continue to advance the research and development of this technology.
Epichem is in confidential discussions with mining and waste industry stakeholders regarding the use of its OHD technology.
The project has allowed Epichem to convert and re-purpose waste using two potential techniques; continuous flow and semi-batch processing giving flexibility to use the process most suited to different feedstock or biomass.
Epichem will now optimise the OHD process specific to different waste materials and determine the OHD processed solids biodegradability via respirometry tests.
Other feedstock and biomass for conversion and re-purpose consideration now include coal, agricultural plant matter, solar panels, batteries, textiles and anti-corrosive film.
The grant funding was designed to see Epichem use OHD technology to convert e-waste into useful end products, recover valuable metals and produce useful high value chemicals.
The research and development program supported a new and innovative solution to process collected e-waste and reduce the amount of e-waste ending up in landfill.
The WasteSorted e-waste grants support the WA Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030 objectives – to avoid waste, recover more value and resources from waste and protect the environment from the impacts of waste.
The $16.7 million New Industries Fund was established to support and accelerate new and emerging businesses to diversify the WA economy and create new jobs.
Epichem will continue to advance the novel, disruptive and innovative OHD technology using several types of feedstocks to convert into a wide range of valuable fuels, fine chemicals and fertilisers.
Epichem OHD is capitalising on recent Australian policies at national, state and local government levels towards zero organic waste to landfill.
The benchtop flow reactor is carbon neutral, environmentally sustainable and uses oxygen and water at high temperatures and pressure to break down input materials and form useful end products.
The flow reactor has the potential to convert:
- Plastics into renewable fuels or make them biodegradable
- Coal into diesel or agricultural biostimulants (diesel, fine chemicals and biostimulants)
- Rubber tyres into liquid fuels/valuable chemical products
- Trees into cellulosic ethanol/fine chemicals
- Leftover stock or crops into liquid fuel – cellulosic ethanol and agricultural biostimulants.
The technology used in the flow reactor could also be used to enhance the process of carbon storage in soils. It may also have application in the minerals recovery sector.
The e-waste project using OHD has delivered promising and encouraging results. We will continue to research and optimise the technology, process different waste streams and enter into commercial agreements with key stakeholders to validate their waste potential,” said Epichem CEO, Colin La Galia.
The technology has the potential to create new revenue streams from: Removal of organic waste, Conversion of organic waste to valuable end user products, Reduce landfill, and Convert potential waste liabilities into assets.
