Changing Plastic Waste Being Liquid Fuel

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) in the United States and the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry (SIOC) in China are finding new ways to recycle plastics into liquid fuels. "Synthetic Plastic is a fundamental part of modern life, but the use of plastic in large numbers creating a serious environmental problem," said UCI chemists Zhibin Guan was quoted as saying Sciencedaily.com (22/6).

"Our goal with this study is to address the problem of plastic pollution that can be converted into something more useful by making it a new source of liquid fuel."

Guan and Huang Zheng, his counterpart in SIOC, and his fellow researchers have found a way to break the strong bonds of polyethylene, common substances contained in plastic. Their innovative technique based on the use of alkanes (specific types of hydrocarbon molecules) took it, and separates the polymer molecules into other useful compounds. The team's discovery in the near future have been published in the scientific journal Science Advances.

Scientists have been looking for ways to recycle plastic bags, bottles, and other garbage produced by men with less toxic methods (minimal toxic) or energy-intensive. This approach involves using caustic chemicals known as heating the material to more than 700 degrees Fahrenheit to break the chemical bonds of the polymer.

In the discovery of this new technique, the team of plastic degrades in a way that is lighter and more efficient through a process known as cross-alkane metathesis (cross alkane metathesis). The substance or substances that are required for the new method is a byproduct of oil refining that is already available before.

Guan said the joint team of China-United States is still working on a few issues to make it more efficient, which in turn can alter other plastic trash into treasure.

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