Beverly Low / University of Cambridge
The project reuses plastic, including more difficult-to-recycle types, and acids from used car batteries to create a reactor that operates for more than 260 hours without loss of performance.
A team of researchers from the University of Cambridge has developed a new solar-powered system capable of transforming difficult-to-recycle plastic waste into clean hydrogen and industrial chemicals.
The technology, described as “solar acid photoreforming“, uses a reactor that runs exclusively on sunlight and uses acid recovered from used car batteries. This innovative approach allows two types of waste to be treated simultaneously, creating a circular economy model.
Currently, global plastic production exceeds 400 million tons per year, but only about 18% is recycled. Most end up in landfills, incinerators or the environment. The new system aims to respond to this challenge by converting discarded materials into valuable resources.
The process begins with the decomposition of plastics through recovered acid, which breaks polymer chains into simpler compoundssuch as ethylene glycol. Then, a specially developed photocatalyst — resistant to highly corrosive environments — uses sunlight to transform these compounds into hydrogen and acetic acid, a chemical widely used in industry.
According to researchers, one of the main advantages of the technology is the reusing acid from discarded batteries. Typically, this acid is neutralized after lead recovery, generating more waste. By integrating it into the process, the system reduces waste and increases the efficiency of hydrogen production.
Laboratory tests indicate that the reactor can operate for more than 260 hours without loss of performance, producing high levels of hydrogen and maintaining good selectivity in the production of acetic acid. Furthermore, it has proven effective in treating various types of plastic, including materials that are difficult to recycle, such as nylon and polyurethane.
Despite the promising results, scientists recognize that there are still technical challenges, particularly in the construction of reactors capable of withstanding highly corrosive conditions on an industrial scale.
