A domestic knowledge-based company has produced a plasma torch that can safely pyrolyze medical waste.
Plasma is divided into cold and warm plasma that can be used in medical fields, according to the CEO of Rayka Gostar Plasma Company.
“The company is not currently active in the medical field, but the domestic plasma torch is mainly used in industrial fields, or for waste disposal,” Maryam Salehi was also quoted as saying by the news portal of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology.
The torch generates hot plasma at atmospheric pressure, which is able to convert most of the existing gases into plasma at a temperature of between 3,000-15,000 degrees Celsius. Almost no other technology can produce this temperature at atmospheric pressure.
The torch can be used for the disposal of special wastes, coating surfaces and mineral processing. In general, it can be used in any industry that requires very high temperatures.
The CEO stated that the plasma torch is the first product developed by the company.
“We initially produced a device for plasma gasification for the disposal of hazardous or hospital wastes. Then we expanded the use of this technology for other applications,” she added.
Salehi considered hospitals and industries producing hazardous waste as the main customers of this product.
The domestic plasma torch has a lower price compared with foreign counterparts of similar quality and can be customized based on the customer’s needs.
“In addition to the personnel working in the company, we have created indirect employment, especially in the fields of mining and mineral processing. We have prevented the sale of raw material and helped process it domestically,” she said.
“However, the product was not welcomed in the country and executive organizations, municipalities, hospitals and the government did not support it as much as we expected. But with the support of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, we managed to export our product.”
The company has so far exported the plasma torch to India and the Philippines.
Domestic Company Recycles Zinc
From Industrial Waste
A knowledge-based company is using indigenous technology to produce metallic goods recycled from waste from zinc factories.
One key function of Kimia Gostar-Sepehr Zangan Company is recycling zinc waste from which useful metals such as cadmium, nickel, cobalt, zinc and manganese oxide are extracted.
“Another important activity of the company is to recycle industrial catalysts that lead to the production of tungsten oxide and titanium oxide,” Farhad Qare-Baghi, the company director, was quoted as saying by the news portal of the Vice-Presidency for Science and Tech.
Regarding buyers, he said, “Since our output is mainly metals, it is used in industries such as steel, plating, etc. Oxides are also in play in industrial pigments and catalysts.”
Qare-Baghi billed high purity, reasonable prices and manageable production process as the competitive advantages of his company.
“The primary [raw] material of the company comes from other factories’ waste. No hazardous materials are used or produced in the production cycle for metals or oxides, and the risk of environmental pollution is insignificant.”
The company has created ten direct jobs.
However, the noted that “The process of granting facilities [funding] to enable knowledge-based companies to grow should be accelerated and facilitated. These enterprises need support to be able to mass produce and remain competitive.”
Over the years many companies have been recycling materials from different kinds of waste. As such, recycling is the driver of using metals for extended periods without the need to mine and process virgin ores – a pattern that has come under systemic condemnation across continents, more so by die-hard environmentalists and prominent NGOs.
Metals can be recycled indefinitely and recycling saves energy and virgin resources. Using recycled metal in industries significantly reduces the company’s carbon footprint.
Metal recycling also cuts the cost of raw materials and helps in enhancing the sustainability. For instance, metallic goods can become a part of a circular economy in this method.
According to a report published by STENA Recycling Company, using recycled metal instead of unprocessed ores helps reduce CO2 emissions by 58%. Also, recycling a ton of steel saves 1.4 tons of iron ore, 1.67 tons of CO2, 800 kilograms of coal, 300 kilograms of limestone and additives.
