Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a solar-powered reactor that converts hard-to-recycle plastics into clean hydrogen fuel and useful chemicals, using acid recovered from discarded car batteries.
The system, reported in Joule, uses a process known as solar-powered acid photoreforming to break down plastics such as PET bottles, nylon textiles, and polyurethane foams. The method first uses battery-derived acid to decompose plastics into chemical building blocks, which are then converted into hydrogen and acetic acid under sunlight.
A key breakthrough lies in a newly engineered photocatalyst capable of operating in highly corrosive acidic conditions—previously considered impractical for such systems. The reactor demonstrated stable performance for over 260 hours in laboratory tests, producing high hydrogen yields.
The approach also repurposes waste acid from lead-acid batteries, which is typically neutralised and discarded, creating a dual waste-to-resource pathway.
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