Jan 31, 2025 - News

LSU researchers invent new low-cost plastic recycling process

Chelsea Brasted

Illustration of a line of plastic bottles — Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Two LSU researchers have created a new, low-cost way to recycle plastic, the university says.

Why it matters: "By recycling these chemicals, we can help reduce the need for new fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions," says co-inventor LSU chemical engineering professor Kerry Dooley. "Basically, our extraction process helps clean up the environment and creates a way to make money from what was once trash.

How it works: The researchers' method uses electromagnetic induction heating along with special magnetic materials and catalysts to break down different types of plastic, a press release says.

The method allows the plastics to melt from the inside out, which they say is more energy efficient.
Plus, it produces "only small amounts of unwanted byproducts," they say.

Zoom in: Dooley created the process with James Dorman, a U.S. Department of Energy program manager and former LSU chemical engineering professor.

It allows key elements of the plastic to stay intact, including ethylene, which is valuable on its own, a press release says, with a global market of around $150 billion.

What's next: The pair of researchers are working to patent the process with LSU's Office of Innovation & Technology Commercialization.

Add Axios on Google

LSU researchers invent new low-cost plastic recycling process

More New Orleans stories