Research Unveils New Technology to Recycle Plastic Waste into Soap

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster):  A groundbreaking technique for recycling plastic garbage into high-value compounds that might be utilized in the production of soap and detergents has been found by a research team headed by Virginia Tech College of Science. The journal Science published the study.

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The study discovered an unexpected molecular connection between soaps and plastics, despite the fact that they have nothing in common in appearance. For example, polyethylene shares a molecular structure with fatty acids, the most widely utilized chemical precursor of soap. According to Guoliang "Greg" Liu, an associate professor of chemistry at Virginia Tech College of Science, polyethylene can be transformed into fatty acids, which can then be processed further to create soap.

The goal of the research is to use heat to break down plastic molecules from polyethylene and polypropylene and separate the oil, which is almost identical to a substance found in most soaps. Comparing the procedure to a number of sophisticated recycling methods that release pollutants, it is more environmentally benign.

Liu intends to work with investors and significant detergent industry players to scale up the cutting-edge technology in the future.