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US scientists convert plastic bags into fuel products
According to a report from Singapore's *Lianhe Zaobao* on the 17th, American scientists have made a breakthrough in recycling plastic shopping bags. They've developed a new technology that can transform these common plastic items into valuable petroleum products such as diesel and natural gas. This innovation could significantly change how we handle plastic waste.
The process is highly efficient, as the energy content of the fuels produced exceeds the energy used in the conversion. The resulting products include diesel, natural gas, solvents, gasoline, waxes, and even engine oils and lubricants. This makes the technology not only environmentally friendly but also economically viable.
Dr. Sharma, a scientist from the University of Illinois who led the study, explained that traditional crude oil distillation yields only about 50% to 55% fuel. However, since plastic bags are originally derived from petroleum, they serve as an excellent raw material. His team managed to extract nearly 80% of the usable fuel from the plastic. Their findings were recently published in the *Journal of Fuel Processing Technology*.
Globally, billions of plastic shopping bags are discarded each year. Only about 12.5% are recycled, while the rest end up in landfills, oceans, or the wild. These bags pose serious environmental threats. On land, they contribute to pollution, and in the ocean, they become a major source of marine debris. Wildlife, such as sea turtles, often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and ingest them, leading to severe health issues or death. Other animals may become entangled in the bags, unable to escape.
Plastic pollution isn’t limited to urban areas. It has been found even in remote regions like the Arctic and Antarctic, highlighting the global scale of the problem.
Previously, researchers had explored converting plastic into crude oil, but this study marks the first successful conversion of plastic bags directly into diesel. Moreover, Sharma’s team went a step further by refining the crude oil into various other petroleum products.
In tests, the team mixed 30% of their plastic-derived diesel with regular diesel. The results showed that the blend worked well without any compatibility issues, suggesting a promising path for integrating this technology into existing fuel systems. This development could play a key role in reducing plastic waste while providing sustainable fuel alternatives.