American and South Korean Scientists Develop Efficient Plastic-to-Hydrogen Process
A team of scientists from UCLA and Ewha Womans University in Seoul has developed a process to convert unsorted plastic waste into hydrogen gas with over 90% purity. The process, known as alkaline thermal treatment (ATT), involves heating a mix of common plastics with sodium hydroxide. This method eliminates the need for sorting plastics, which is typically a costly and labor-intensive step in recycling. The process also captures most of the carbon from the plastics, converting it into stable carbonate or liquid organic residues, thus minimizing carbon emissions. 
