New Hydrogenolysis Method for Polyolefin Plastic Waste Developed in China
Quick Look
Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Fudan University developed a hydrogenolysis method for polyolefins, which constitute over 60% of plastic waste, to convert them into C8-C16 hydrocarbons for aviation fuel under mild conditions, addressing environmental concerns.
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Why It Matters
Over 460 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually, with polyolefins forming over 60% of plastic waste, posing significant environmental challenges due to their degradation resistance.
More than 460 million tonnes of plastic is produced around the world each year, and the material’s resistance to degradation is fuelling growing concern about its environmental impact.
The research, conducted by a joint team from the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Fudan University, involves the hydrogenolysis of polyolefins. The reaction operates under relatively mild conditions and offers tunable product selectivity, allowing researchers to steer the conversion towards desired hydrocarbon ranges.
Polyolefins – mainly polythene and polypropylene – account for over 60 per cent of plastic waste and have long chains of hydrocarbons that, if broken down, could become the C8-C16 hydrocarbons that form the backbone of aviation fuel.
However, polyolefins are also highly stable, meaning they do not easily undergo chemical reactions.
At the heart of this chemistry lie metal catalysts, which provide the active sites for selectively cleaving and rearranging carbon‑carbon bonds. However, a basic challenge has long plagued this route.
Open Questions
- How will the method be scaled for industrial application?
- What are the economic costs of this new method?
- What specific metal catalysts are used?
