Solar reactor converts plastic waste into hydrogen fuel, chemicals

The solar-powered reactor. PIC COURTESY/University of Cambridge

Researchers have developed a solar-powered reactor that transforms hard-to-recycle plastic waste into clean hydrogen fuel and industrial chemicals.

The system uses acid recovered from discarded car batteries, offering a novel way to tackle multiple waste streams at once.

The system employs a specially engineered photocatalyst designed to withstand highly corrosive acidic conditions.

Waste plastics are first treated with the recovered acid, breaking down long polymer chains into smaller chemical components such as ethylene glycol.

When exposed to sunlight, the photocatalyst converts these intermediates into hydrogen fuel and acetic acid, a widely used industrial chemical.

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