ORNL process turns polyethylene waste into gasoline and diesel

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a method to convert polyethylene into gasoline- and diesel-like fuels using molten salts containing aluminum chloride. The process reaches about 60% gasoline yield below 200 °C without noble-metal catalysts, organic solvents or external hydrogen. A patent has been filed and the findings were published in JACS.

• Gasoline yield reaches about 60% at temperatures below 200 °C
• Molten AlCl3 salts act as both reaction medium and catalyst
• No noble metals, solvents or external hydrogen required
• Patent filed; findings published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society