Scientists have developed a new chemical reactor system that turns plastic waste into jet fuel with costs potentially low enough to compete with traditional petroleum-based kerosene. The process, detailed in a recent TechRadar report, addresses two major environmental problems at once: the growing mountains of discarded plastic and the aviation industry鈥檚 heavy carbon footprint.
The system relies on a technique called hydrothermal liquefaction combined with catalytic upgrading. Researchers feed mixed plastic waste, the kind that typically ends up in landfills or the ocean, into a high-pressure reactor filled with water heated to around 400 degrees Celsius. Under these conditions, the plastic breaks down into smaller hydrocarbon chains without requiring oxygen, which prevents the formation of dioxins and other harmful combustion byproducts common in incineration methods.
What sets this approach apart from previous plastic-to-fuel efforts is the economic modeling that accompanies the technical description. The team calculated production costs at approximately 89 cents per liter for the resulting fuel blend, a figure that comes surprisingly close to current wholesale prices for conventional jet fuel. Previous attempts at chemical recycling have often produced fuels at double or triple the market rate, limiting their appeal to all but the most determined sustainability programs.