A UNSW technology that turns waste plastic and rubber into steel has won international recognition at the 2008 Royal Awards for Sustainable Technology Transfer.

Announced at the recent Copenmind exhibition in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Awards recognise technologies that boost productivity and cut the costs of natural resource use and waste production. Embracing a theme of "clean-tech", Copenmind gave universities from around the globe a chance to showcase innovative technologies and discuss investment prospects with industry executives.

A team from NewSouth Innovations and the A team from NewSouth Innovations and the UNSW Science Faculty attended the three-day exhibition, which drew delegates from 125 universities and many companies into a marketplace environment. NSi Senior Business Development Manager, Dr Robin Stanley, presented the polymer injection technology to the Awards panel that awarded second prize to UNSW behind Colorado State University’s Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory.

Developed by a team led by UNSW Professor Veena Sahajwalla, the technology lets electric-arc steelmakers substitute waste polyethylene plastic and rubber for a proportion coke and coal-based carbon. Electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking recycles steel from scrap metal and accounts for 40 per cent of the world's steel production.

Industry trials of the technology reveal significant power bill cost savings for EAC steelmakers, reduced plastics and rubber going into landfills and lower greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power stations. The first clean technology conference of its kind in Europe, Copenmind drew on themes such as climate change, agriculture, energy, waste and recycling and water.

UNSW has numerous research activities of commercial interest in environmental sustainability, environmental biotechnology, water and marine science, advanced materials, nanotechnology, photovoltaics, and building technologies. NSi and the UNSW Faculty of Science embraced the initiative to better engage with industry, and presented a wide range of science and engineering technologies.

“NSi had experts at Copenmind who spoke the language of potential industry partners,” said Dr Roger Read, Associate Dean (Research and International Development) in the UNSW Science Faculty. ”They contributed advice, in advance, on how best to present summary material for industry, and were able to represent UNSW across the full range of technologies. The Science Faculty is proud of the achievement of its researchers and its translation into applications.”

Media contacts: Dr Robin Stanley, NewSouth Innovations, +61 410 415 074, Dan Gaffney, NSi media, +61 411 156 015