Combatting drought with a Low-Cost, biodegradable Superabsorbent Polymer made out of\u00a0orange peels<\/a><\/strong>\u201c.<\/p>\nGoogle said\u00a0the prize will be given in scholarship funding,\u00a0and is intended\u00a0to further Nirghin\u2019s\u00a0education.<\/p>\n
In her online submission to the science fair,\u00a0Nirghin explains that she conducted\u00a0three experiments over 45 days to\u00a0see if she could make a superabsorbent polymer (SAP) out of bio-waste that outperforms existing synthetic SAPs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe results of the water retention test showed that the \u2018orange peel mixture\u2019 can absorb 76.1% of water, which is significantly greater than the acrylic SAP, starch SAP and pectin SAP,\u201d\u00a0Nirghin said.<\/p>\n
Her orange peel mixture was made\u00a0out of waste products found in the juice manufacturing industry where the\u00a0only resources involved were electricity and time. No special equipment nor materials were required, she said.<\/p>\n
Nirghin also noted that commercially used acrylic SAP retails for around $2,000 to $3,000 (R27,586 to R41,390) per metric ton, and is\u00a0not bio-degradable, whereas the \u2018orange peel mixture\u2019 could retail at $30 to $60 (R414 to R828) per metric ton.<\/p>\n
She said she\u00a0hopes this low-cost material can reduce juice manufacturing waste while helping local farmers save both money and their crops.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n