KNUST students manufacture machine that converts plastic waste into bio-diesel
The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has manufactured a Pyrolysis Reactor which converts plastic waste into bio-diesel.
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This is to help in addressing the country’s energy problems.
The reactor, which is yet to be formally exhibited, was manufactured by the Physics Department of the university, spearheaded by a doctorate student, Sam Frank Jnr.
The one-year project, which was preceded by months of research, had various components and is being assembled with the help of industry players to put it into the Ghanaian market.
The Provost of the College of Sciences of KNUST, Prof. Kwabena Obiri-Danso, announced the breakthrough at the 49th Congregation of the university in Kumasi.
He said the College of Science has also introduced Forensic Science at the master’s level which takes off this August.
A total of 1060 students graduated from the College of Science at KNUST this year. In all, a total of 4820 students graduated from all colleges of the university this year.
College of Engineering
At the College of Engineering, a group of young females broke the jinx of a male-dominated college after one of them, Edith Ghunney, put up a scintillating performance to win the overall best graduating student.
The performance by Ghunney in particular was the crowning moments by the College as it had deliberately initiated measures to correct an erroneous impression that the course was meant for males while increasing more female intakes.
The telecommunication engineer was one of 14 females who had first class out of 91 representing 18 per cent of the first batch of 935 students.
The Provost of the College, Prof. Samuel Innocent Ampadu, said female performance had not only improved but had surpassed that of their male counterparts.
‘In fact females are at the top of their graduating classes in Civil, Telecom and Mechanical Engineering,’ he said.
The fresh student engineers were from 15 different programmes and out of the number, a total of 91 students, representing about eight per cent graduated with First Class degrees, eight more but one per cent lower than last year.
Another 391 constituting 33 per cent graduated in the Second Class Upper Division. 414 representing 35 per cent graduated with Second Class Lower Division degrees and only 57 representing about 5 per cent graduated with a Pass.