Researchers at Ohio State University have developed a chemical recycling technology capable of converting plastics and environmental waste into syngas, an essential component for producing chemicals and fuels such as formaldehyde and methanol .
Chemical recycling technology
Scientists tested the effectiveness of the “ chemical cycling ” system for breaking down waste. This method produces high-quality, environmentally safe syngas. The study’s lead author and a PhD student in chemical and biomolecular engineering at Ohio State, Ishani Karki Kudva, explained: “ We use syngas for important chemicals that we need in our daily lives. Improving its purity means we can use it in a variety of new ways. .”
Today, commercial processes generate syngas with a purity of 80 to 85 percent, but Kudva’s team achieved purity close to 90 percent in a process that takes only minutes and fewer refining or purification steps.
This research, led by Liang-Shih Fan, distinguished professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Ohio State, builds on decades of previous studies into converting fossil fuels, sewer gas and coal into useful products. The new system uses two reactors: a moving-bed reducer to break down waste metal oxide material with oxygen, and a fluidized-bed combustor to regenerate the material.
Researchers measured the system’s carbon emissions, revealing that it could reduce them by up to 45% compared to conventional processes. Shekhar Shinde, a co-author of the study and a PhD student at Ohio State, noted: “ There has been a dramatic shift in terms of what was done before and what people are trying to do now in terms of decarbonisation research .”
The technology developed has the potential to handle multiple types of materials simultaneously, increasing its versatility and efficiency. The team plans to expand the process to include municipal solid waste, moving towards commercialization of this technology and industrial decarbonization.
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Source: Ohio State News
Photo: Shutterstock
