Ames Lab chosen to lead new Energy Frontier Research Center The new EFRC will research ways to upcycle plastics into more valuable materials.
Rethinking the science of plastic recycling In a recently published study in the journal ACS Central Science, the multi-institutional team, including Ames Laboratory scientists, reported a catalytic method for selectively converting discarded plastics into higher quality products, such as lubricant oils or waxes. In turn, the waxes can be processed into everyday products like detergents and cosmetics.
What should we do about single-use plastics? Tackling the growing problem of trash we can’t recycle Researchers are looking at ways to upcycle plastics -- breaking down long polymer chains into shorter segments that can then be reused for a variety of chemicals and materials.
