An innovation more effectively transforms plastics into valuable commodity chemicals, a process called "upcycling," was recently presented at the Chicago American Chemical Society fall meeting.

As specified in a SciTechDaily report, a plastics recycling innovation that's doing more with less simultaneously increases conversion to useful products while it uses less of the "precious metal ruthenium.

The key finding reported is the very low metal load, chemist Janos Szanyi, who led the team of researchers, said. This makes the catalyst much cheaper.

Furthermore, it produces much less methane, an unwanted greenhouse gas, as a byproduct compared with other reported methods.

According to Linxiao Chen, a postdoctoral research scientist, who presented the research at ACS, it was quite interesting to them that there had been nothing published before that showed this finding.

This study reveals the opportunity to develop selective, effective, and versatile catalysts for plastic upcycling.

ALSO READ: Track Marine Litter Anywhere in the World With This New Interactive Website

Plastics Recycling
(Photo: Carl Court/Getty Images)
A worker loads plastic bags into a shredding machine where they will begin the process of being recycled and turned into pellets at Asei plastic recycling company in Kasama, Japan.

Plastic Upcycling

Petroleum-based plastic waste depicts an untapped source of carbon-based chemicals that can function as the starting material for functional, durable fuels.

Despite abundant supplies in recycling bins, quite a little plastic supply is recycled at present, primarily for economic and practical reasons.

Nonetheless, PNNL researchers attempt to change the dynamic by applying their expertise to break bonds effectively.

It is commonly known that adding hydrogen, a reaction identified as hydrogenolysis, to plastics that are difficult to recycle, such as polypropylene and polyethylene, illustrates a promising technique to convert plastic waste into tiny value-added hydrocarbons.

Nonetheless, such a process necessitates effective and selective catalysts to make it affordably feasible. This is where the new PNNL-led study excelled.

Precious Metal Ruthenium Enhanced Upcycling Process

The research team discovered that diminishing the amount of the precious metal ruthenium enhanced the polymer upcycling efficiency and selectivity.

In research published in the ACS Catalysis journal, the team showed that the improvement in effectiveness occurred when the low ratio of metal to support construction caused it to switch from an orderly array of particles to disordered atom rafts.

Essentially, a track record of PNNL expertise in single-atom catalysts helped the team understand the reason less is more.

The study investigators observed the transition to disorder on the molecular level and then utilized established theory to present that single atoms are, in fact, more effective catalysts in this investigational work.

Tolerating Chlorine

Commenting on the plastics recycling work, Chen explained that they had investigated less expensive and more easily available support materials to substitute cerium oxide.

He also said that they discovered a chemically modified titanium oxide might allow for a more effective and selective pathway for poly propylene upcycling.

To make the approach practical for use with mixed plastic recycling streams, the study investigators are now exploring how the presence of chlorine affects the efficacy of chemical conversion.

According to Oliver Gutierrez, a chemist and expert in industrial applications for catalysts, they are looking into more demanding extraction conditions.

The chemist also explained that when there's no clean plastic source, in an industrial upcycling process, there is chlorine from polyvinylchloride and other sources.

Essentially, chlorine can contaminate the plastic upcycling reaction. As specified in a similar Future News For You report, the research team wants to understand what impact chlorine has on the system.

Now, that fundamental understanding may contribute to converting waste plastic that would typically end up as pollution in the environment into functional products.

Related information about plastic waste converted into fuel is shown on Kathi Explains' YouTube video below:

 

RELATED ARTICLE: Plastics Can Help Save This Planet, Science Writer Says Humans Are the Problem

Check out more news and information on Plastics in Science Times.