Using Kiln Boats to Reuse Marine Plastics

Abstract

Microplastics are the biggest pollutants in marine ecosystems. Each year, over 8 million tons of plastic enter the oceans. Via microbes, microplastics may transport toxic chemicals into food webs. It is therefore important to create a way to remove microplastics and reduce the impact of microplastics on the ocean’s food web. This paper discusses the plan of using kiln firing, laser firing, pollution control, and green energy production to reuse marine plastics. We used a wood-fired kiln to design a kiln boat. The “Patch” is a large ocean area with trash. The calorific value of plastics is comparable to that of fuels, around 40 MJ/kg. This makes plastic a good fuel for ceramic firing. Based on our Taiwanese invention patent for a laser ceramic firing technique (Taiwan, R.O.C Patent Number: I687394 and I750055), we integrated a variety of ceramic technologies to address the problem of marine plastic pollution. A kiln boat is a good plan. Creating a moveable kiln not only reduces transportation costs but also reuses the calorific value of plastics. This is important in guiding future marine litter research and ocean cleanup management strategies.

Keywords

• marine litter
• microplastics
• kiln boat
• laser
• oxidation and reduction firing
• glaze