South African Student Produces Cheap Water-Retaining Polymer from Orange Peel
In South Africa, high school student Kiara Nirgin utilized food waste to create an organic material with a higher water retention capacity than synthetic polymers.
Seeking a solution to the severe droughts in South Africa, 16-year-old high school student Kiara Nirgin developed an organic polymer using orange and avocado peels that is much cheaper and has a higher water retention capacity than synthetic acrylic polymers.
Organic Polymer from Food Waste
South African high school student Kiara Nirgin signed off on a remarkable project by turning to food waste instead of expensive synthetic acrylic polymers that do not degrade in nature.
Production Process and Method
Nirgin mixed orange peels, which have a high pectin content, with avocado peels and left them to dry in the sun, preparing the material without the need for any complex facilities.
Cost Advantage and Test Results
While industrial acrylic polymers, which cost up to $3,000 per ton, remained at a 74.7% liquid absorption level, the natural material managed to absorb 76.1% of the liquid.
The biological material, which can retain about 300 times its own weight in water, was calculated to have a production cost of only $30 to $60 per ton.
International Success and Award
Selected as the winner of the Google Science Fair with this innovative project she developed, the young student became the recipient of the $50,000 grand prize.