'Plastic oil' could improve fuel economy in cars

[Ivan Seeking]

Recycled plastic bottles could one day be used to lubricate your car's engine, according to researchers at Chevron and the University of Kentucky, who in laboratory experiments converted waste plastic into lubricating oil. These polyethylene-derived oils, they say, could help improve fuel economy and reduce the frequency of oil changes.

The pilot study appears in the July 20 issue of the American Chemical Society's peer-reviewed journal Energy & Fuels. ACS is the world's largest scientific society.

"This technology potentially could have a significant environmental impact. It could make a difference in communities that want to do something positive about their waste plastic problem, especially if there is a refinery nearby that could do all of the processing steps," says the study's lead author Stephen J. Miller, Ph.D., a senior consulting scientist and Chevron Fellow at Chevron Energy Technology Company in Richmond, Calif.

Americans use about 25 million tons of plastic each year. However, only about 1 million tons of it is recycled, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The remainder ends up in landfills. [continued]

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-06/acs-oc061305.php

 

[NERV]

I believe it because plastic,especially PE molecules can just be regarded as long-chained carbon atoms,while petrol molecules are some shorter ones.So with cracking technology we can get petrol from plastic easily.The profits are high,because the world's oil price keeps increasing and the plastic products are so cheap.

 

[quicknote]

I find this research on converting waste plastic into lubricating oil for cars to be very promising. The potential benefits to both the environment and fuel economy are significant. It is encouraging to see collaboration between industry and academia in finding innovative solutions to address the issue of plastic waste.

The fact that this technology could potentially be implemented in communities with nearby refineries is also promising, as it could provide a practical solution for managing plastic waste in those areas.

However, further research and development is needed to fully understand the feasibility and potential impact of this technology. It will be important to consider factors such as the cost-effectiveness, scalability, and potential impacts on engine performance.

Overall, I believe that this study is a step in the right direction towards finding sustainable solutions for our growing plastic waste problem. It is heartening to see the scientific community working towards practical and impactful solutions for environmental issues. I look forward to seeing further developments in this area.