Students invented a remedy for the worst pollution from cars
Four students from British Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art have come up with an innovative way to collect particles emitted from car tires while driving. Rubber dust accumulates while driving on the street. For their discovery, the students received a cash prize from the British billionaire, inventor and industrial designer Sir James Dyson.
Students use electrostatics to collect rubber particles. The study found that a device located in close proximity to the wheels of a car collects up to 60% of the rubber particles that fly into the air when the car is moving. This is achieved, among other things, by optimizing the air flow around the wheel.
It is not by chance that Dyson became interested in the development: in the foreseeable future, it is possible that “vacuum cleaners” for trapping car tire particles will become as common as an air filter.
Tire wear pollution is not a very well understood phenomenon. However, experts are unanimous in one thing - the volume of such emissions is truly colossal, and this is the second largest source of pollution in the oceans. Every time a car actively accelerates, stops or turns, a huge amount of rubber particles are thrown into the air. They get into the soil and water, fly in the air, which means that they can harm the environment, as well as people and animals.
The transition from conventional combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles will not change this in any way, but on the contrary, it may worsen the situation. The fact is that with electric vehicles, the number of these particles is even greater due to the fact that electric vehicles are heavier.
Four students are currently working on obtaining a patent for their invention. The particles collected by the filter can be recycled. – to be added to the mixture in the manufacture of new tires or for other uses, such as the production of pigments.
