UCLA and South Korean Scientists Develop New Method for Hydrogen Production from Plastic Waste
Researchers from UCLA and Ewha Womans University in Seoul have developed a new method to produce hydrogen from unsorted plastic waste. The process, known as alkaline thermal treatment (ATT), involves heating a mix of common plastics with sodium hydroxide, resulting in hydrogen gas that is over 90% pure. This method eliminates the need for sorting plastics, which is a significant barrier in recycling. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrates a more efficient hydrogen yield compared to traditional steam gasification, with most of the carbon from the plastics being converted into solid rock rather than released as CO2.