"Startup as a Thesis": A KuzSTU Student Creates a Profitable Method for Recycling Hazardous Waste

Anastasia Shurdova, a student at the Institute of Chemical and Petroleum Technologies, defended her final thesis in the "Startup as a Thesis" format. Her project addresses a key environmental issue: the recycling of spent oil sorbents generated during oil spill cleanup.

The defense took place at the industrial facility PAO Koks. The students' theses were evaluated not only by faculty but also by specialists with industrial and business experience. Anastasia is conducting her project under the scientific supervision of Elena and Andrey Ushakov, Associate Professors of the Department of Chemical Engineering of Solid Fuels at KuzSTU.

About the Problem

Every year, more than 10,000 oil spills occur in Russia. One of the most effective methods for their cleanup is the use of carbon sorbents. However, after several cycles of use and regeneration, the sorbents lose their oil absorption capacity and become hazardous waste. As a result, at least three thousand tons of spent sorbents are generated annually in the country.

There is a solution!

Anastasia proposed disposing of this hazardous waste through gasification—high-temperature processing that produces a valuable gaseous product. Unlike simple landfill or incineration, gasification not only renders waste harmless but also produces useful syngas. "The thermal processing of spent sorbents produces four main products: gas, water, ash, and sludge," the young scientist explained. "The resulting materials can be used in a variety of applications: as energy fuel, as raw materials for the chemical industry, and as an additive to cement concrete and asphalt concrete mixtures. Water is returned to the gasification process as a component of the oxidizer."