Polyethylene and polypropylene are ubiquitous in modern life due to their low cost and superior properties. However, their chemical inertness and widespread use in single-use packaging leads to their accumulation in landfill and the environment. The development of polyolefins as a chemical feedstock for upcycling has attracted increased attention recently. To address this problem, the Institute for Cooperative Upcycling of Plastics (ICOUP), a DOE EFRC, is developing catalytic methods to selectively cleave long polyolefin chains into smaller, value-added materials. Several case studies of polyolefin upcycling and circular reprocessing will be presented.

Catalytic upcycling and circular reprocessing of polyolefins

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.