Beijing: Researchers in China have developed a low cost chemical process that converts difficult to recycle plastic waste into aviation fuel, offering a potential pathway to reduce plastic pollution while producing sustainable fuel for the aviation sector.
The study, conducted by scientists at Fudan University in collaboration with the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute focuses on the hydrogenolysis of polyolefins the family of plastics commonly used in products such as shopping bags, food packaging and shampoo bottles.
According to the researchers, the laboratory-scale process achieved an 82.3 per cent liquid fuel yield and 79 per cent selectivity towards aviation grade hydrocarbons (C8–C16 alkanes), the carbon chain length required for jet fuel.
Unlike earlier approaches that often broke plastic molecules into gases such as methane, the new method uses a cobalt nickel catalyst that selectively breaks internal carbon bonds, producing liquid hydrocarbons suitable for aviation fuel under relatively mild reaction conditions.
The researchers said the use of cobalt and nickel, both abundant and inexpensive metals, could significantly lower production costs compared to previous methods that relied on costly noble metals such as platinum and ruthenium.
A life-cycle assessment conducted as part of the study indicated that, when powered by renewable energy, the process could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 per cent compared with conventional fossil fuel production.
Despite the promising laboratory results, the technology remains in the pilot stage. Researchers noted that scaling up the process for industrial use presents significant engineering challenges, particularly in handling contaminated plastic waste, which can deactivate the catalyst. Developing effective pre-treatment systems for mixed and impure plastic waste will be essential before commercial deployment.
Scientists said further research and large scale testing are required before plastic derived aviation fuel can be used commercially, although the findings mark an important step toward improving plastic recycling and reducing dependence on fossil fuels in the aviation industry.