Find out how to 'recycle' carbon dioxide into plastic

Scientists developed a method to effectively convert greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2) into plastic.

The research team at the University of Toronto (Canada), the University of California, Berkeley (USA) and the Canadian Light Source Center (CLS) have succeeded in finding the ideal conditions for (CO 2 ) to ethylene (C 2 H 4 ). Ethylene is used to make polyethylene - the most popular plastic in the world.

Picture 1 of Find out how to 'recycle' carbon dioxide into plastic
The surface of copper nanoparticles catalyzes the conversion of CO2 into ethylene.(Photo: CLS).

The focus of the experiment is the reduction of carbon dioxide, which converts this gas into a number of different compounds. Many metals could be used as catalysts, but the team chose copper because its use would produce ethylene.

"Copper is a magic metal. It acts as a catalyst in the reaction to produce many different chemicals such as methane, ethylene, and ethanol. However, controlling the products created when using copper "It's quite difficult," said Phil De Luna, the lead researcher.

The team also identified precise conditions to maximize the amount of ethylene products during the reaction, while minimizing byproducts of methane (CH 4 ) and carbon monoxide (CO).

"I think the future will have a lot of technologies to turn emissions into valuable things. We are working to develop new and sustainable ways to meet the energy needs of the future." - De Luna said.

According to CLS, along with carbon capture technology, the technology of turning carbon dioxide into a plastic will contribute to reducing the cause.