Materials

Sunlight turns plastic waste into key element of hydrogen fuel cells

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Could plastic waste one day provide a key ingredient for zero-emission transport?
Nanyang Technological University
Could plastic waste one day provide a key ingredient for zero-emission transport?
Nanyang Technological University
Scientists at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University have developed a new technique to turn plastic waste into formic acid
Nanyang Technological University

Our plastic waste problem is a large one, and it’s only getting larger. This is a huge environmental problem that requires some big picture thinking, but scientists are also exploring more subtle ways of chipping away at it and that includes turning plastic waste into sources of fuel. New research out of Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has thrown another interesting possibility into the mix, with scientists converting consumer plastic into a chemical used to to produce electricity in hydrogen fuel cells by exposing it to sunlight.

The key to the breakthrough was the introduction of a new kind of photocatalyst, which is a material that harnesses light energy to power chemical reactions. In search of new ways to convert plastic waste into useful chemicals, the NTU team turned to a type of affordable, biocompatible metal called vanadium. This commonly forms part of the steel and aluminum alloys used in cars and aircraft, but the scientists found it might play a role in plastics recycling, too.

By adding the vanadium-based catalyst to a solution containing consumer plastics, heating it to 85° C (185° F) and then exposing it all to artificial sunlight, the team was able to break down key bonds within the plastic in the space of six days. Breaking apart these carbon-carbon bonds typically involves high temperatures, which is energy-intensive, but by harnessing sunlight instead the scientists may have found a greener way forward.

Scientists at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University have developed a new technique to turn plastic waste into formic acid
Nanyang Technological University

But the eco-credentials of their technology don’t end there. The end result of this process was the conversion of the plastic into formic acid. This is a naturally occurring antibacterial agent and also happens to be the simplest combination of hydrogen and CO2 that we know of.

This makes it an exciting candidate as a carrier of liquid hydrogen in our pursuit of fuel cell vehicles. Last year, scientists in Switzerland built the world’s first fuel cell based on formic acid. The prototype device could produce 7,000 kWh of electricity every year with zero emissions, provided the formic acid comes from environmentally friendly sources, which could now include plastic trash.

“We aimed to develop sustainable and cost-effective methods to harness sunlight to manufacture fuels and other chemical products,” says research lead Assistant Professor Soo Han Sen. “This new chemical treatment is the first reported process that can completely break down a non-biodegradable plastic such as polyethylene using visible light and a catalyst that does not contain heavy metals.”

The team is continuing to tinker with its methods in hope of uncovering new kinds of chemicals that can be produced through broken down plastics, a possibility it says includes hydrogen gas.

The team published its research in the journal Science Advances.

Source: Nanyang Technological University

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6 comments
Colt12

There is plenty of energy in sunlight, the more hydrogen production from this source the better.
Expanded Viewpoint
OK, it says that the Formic Acid is a good "carrier" of liquid Hydrogen, but from where does that Hydrogen come? It just appears out of nowhere like magic, for free?? Call me when you have a solid game plan that is as cheap as what we have now, not more expensive and more complicated. Yes, I would love to see us weaned off of burning Carbon based fuels, even though they produce Carbon Dioxide, which is what plants use as food to live on, grow and mature. There are some serious downsides to a petroleum and coal based economy and technology infrastructure, but let's not throw away one problem just to take on two more that are equally bad!!
Vernon Miles Kerr
Practically every day we see promising technologies that , if pursued, might solve current ecological problems thereby resulting in a future material Utopia on Earth. But, how much of a Utopia will it be, without solving the moral quandaries, the religious and political conflicts, the basic greed of the human being? Shades of "Brave New World."
SibylTheHeretic
Another interesting way to store and transport energy. This sounds like a good step to avoid death by plastic. I would think that even in moderate climates the sunlight could also provide the 185 degrees needed for the chemical reaction. Does this process provide some cooling?
Mark Randombard
What are the other by-products of this process if any...?
ljaques
Sounds good (what very little you told us of), keep trying.