FURI | Spring 2021

Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Polyethylene

The effects of catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of polyethylene with different catalysts on HTL product distribution will be investigated. The research will help SRP eliminate plastic waste from electrical cable insulators and instead produce useful products. HTL of waste plastics will also address sustainability issues by providing a solution for dealing with plastic waste and producing monomers and other chemicals that can be upgraded into fuels, recycled into new plastics, or used for other value-added purposes. In the future, this work can be expanded to other types of waste plastics as well.