2025/08/14 by Wei Zhang, Boda Yang, Benjamin A. Jackson +9 · 1 voice
Materials Science · Environmental Science · #Polymer Science and PVC #Recycling and Waste Management Techniques #Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
paper · doi:10.1126/science.adx5285
openalex publication_date 2025/08/14 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25
Polyolefins and their chlorinated derivatives such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are among the most prevalent plastics in global production and waste streams. Traditional waste-to-energy methods such as incineration and pyrolysis, as well as most chemical upcycling methods for PVC utilization, require thorough, high-temperature dechlorination to prevent the release of toxic chlorinated compounds. We present here a strategy for upgrading discarded PVC into chlorine-free fuel range hydrocarbons and hydrogen chloride in a single-stage process catalyzed by chloroaluminate ionic liquids. This approach offsets endothermic dechlorination and carbon-carbon bond cleavage with exothermic alkylation and hydrogen transfer by isobutane or isopentane in a low-temperature tandem process. The light isoalkanes are available from refinery processes and partly from recycling of the product stream. This process is suitable for handling real-world mixed and contaminated PVC and polyolefin waste streams.