One third of the projects supported by the Science Fund are environmental projects. In total, Kazakh scientists have developed 40 such unique eco-innovations over the past five years. One of them is special filters that can significantly reduce emissions of carbon monoxide and other harmful substances into the atmosphere. The project authors are specialists from the Sokolsky Institute of Fuel, Catalysis and Electrochemistry in Kazakhstan.
“A semicircular disk is installed in the tube, through which warm air flows. A powerful chemical reaction occurs inside the filter, thanks to special technologies created at the Sokolsky Institute. These chemical reactions are capable of cleaning. As a rule, the filters are multi-layered. At the beginning, complex chemical compounds are cleaned up, and then carbon monoxide is burned. Combustion of carbon monoxide makes it cheaper for enterprises to pay for emissions. Accordingly, it not only brings profit, but also purifies the air,” said Aryn Orsariyev, Chairperson of the Science Fund.
Such filters can be installed not only in cars, but also in industrial and oil producing enterprises. The domestic invention has already contributed to the improvement of the environment in several regions of the country. The number of toxic emissions has markedly decreased in Atyrau, Aktobe, Kyzylorda and Pavlodar regions.
“Сatalytic converters make it possible to purify the exhaust gas of motor vehicles and industrial facilities. Actually, such catalysts are installed on all cars. Their shelf life is usually approximately 100,000 kilometers or a year and a half of work. Together with the Science Fund, we launched a workshop. At the moment, its production capacity is about 5,000 a year, but it is easily scalable. If necessary, and if more orders will come our way, it can be scaled up and installed on both mileage and new cars,” added Bolatbek Khussain, Project Manager and Deputy Director General of Sokolsky Institute of Fuel, Catalysis and Electrochemistry.
In the couple of years since the start of the project, the production of scientists brought them a profit of 336 million tenge (US$733,624). Foreign countries, including Mongolia and China, are already showing interest in the invention of Kazakh specialists.
Translation by Assem Zhanmukhanova
Editing by Galiya Khassenkhanova
