Scientists Develop Plastic-to-Fuel Process

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) announced a method on 21 September 2026 to convert polyethylene plastic into gasoline-like and diesel-like fuels. The process uses aluminium-based molten salts as both the reaction medium and the catalyst, and it operates below 200 degrees Celsius.

Polyethylene and fuel conversion

Polyethylene is a thermoplastic polymer used in packaging, containers, films, and bags. It is made of long hydrocarbon chains, and chemical recycling methods aim to break these chains into smaller fuel-range molecules.

In the ORNL method, simpler polymer chains tend to produce gasoline-like products, while more complex chains tend to produce diesel-like products. The experiments yielded about 60% gasoline from polyethylene waste under mild conditions.

Pyrolysis and related plastic-to-fuel methods

Pyrolysis is a thermal decomposition process that breaks materials down in the absence of oxygen. Conventional pyrolysis often requires higher temperatures than 200 degrees Celsius and may use external hydrogen, organic solvents, or precious metal catalysts.

Clean Planet Technologies opened a pilot facility in Sandwich, Kent, in April 2026 to convert non-recyclable plastic waste into Sustainable Aviation Fuel using a thermal pyrolysis workflow. Yale University researchers led by Liangbing Hu and Shu Hu developed a catalyst-free pyrolysis method in July 2025 using a 3D-printed electrically heated carbon column reactor.

Other recent research on mixed plastics

In July 2026, researchers at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and Ewha Womans University used alkaline thermal treatment to convert mixed plastics such as PET, PE, and PP into high-purity hydrogen fuel. Petgas in Boca del Río processed about 1.5 tons of plastic per week as of February 2025 and produced fuel including gasoline, diesel, and kerosene.

Important Facts for Exams

• Polyethylene is one of the most widely used plastics in packaging and consumer products.
• Pyrolysis is a chemical recycling method that uses heat to break polymers into smaller compounds.
• Sustainable Aviation Fuel is a low-carbon aviation fuel category used in aircraft engines after blending and certification.
• The Journal of the American Chemical Society is a peer-reviewed chemistry journal published by the American Chemical Society.