Ames Laboratory Designs Nano-catalysts to Upcycle Polyolefin Plastics December 15, 2020 Contact Author Michele Behrens
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Ames Laboratory scientists have nanoengineered catalysts that can upcycle polyethylene. This can lead to the production of solvents, lubricating oils and more, replacing single-use plastic.
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Scientists at Ames Laboratory have developed a reportedly first-of-its-kind catalyst that is able to process polyolefin plastics such as polyethylene and polypropylene.
According to a report by Ames Laboratory, these types of polymers are widely used in containers such as shampoo bottles. The upcycling process results in uniform, high-quality components that can be used to produce fuels, solvents and lubricating oils leveraging these and other plastics often used for packaging as an untapped resource.