CAS-SC: Tuning Hydrocarbon Products from Temperature-Gradient Thermolysis of Polyolefins and the Subsequent Upcycling to Functional Chemicals

CAS-SC：调整聚烯烃温度梯度热解的碳氢化合物产品以及随后升级为功能化学品

• 批准号: 2411680
• 负责人: Guoliang Greg Liu
• 金额: $ 60万
• 依托单位: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-04-01 至 2028-03-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2411680&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAS; SC; Tuning; Hydrocarbon; Products

PART 1: NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY Plastic waste is a global challenge that must be addressed to achieve a sustainable future. The PI has developed a technique of “cascade degradation and upcycling” (“Deg-Up”) that represents an emerging effective means to convert plastic waste into high-value chemicals and materials. In the degradation of the two most common high-volume commercial plastics made of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), temperature-gradient thermolysis (a controlled thermal breakdown of the plastic molecules) is highly effective in converting them into platform intermediate chemicals for general uses. In the upcycling of platform intermediate chemicals, PE and PP-derived products are particularly useful for subsequent conversion to produce high-value materials such as surfactants (e.g., soaps, detergents, surface modifiers, etc.). The output of high-value surfactants from low-cost plastic waste can provide significant financial incentives to address the existing fast-accumulating plastic waste. The controlled “Deg-Up” of PE and PP, which will be the focus of this project, will offer new approaches to producing sustainable surfactants with reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions. Downstream functionalization of PE and PP-derived intermediate molecules will pave the foundation for the future development of “waste-to-value” using other plastic waste feedstocks. Highly integrated with the concept of “plastic sustainability”, the educational component of the project will train students at all levels including underrepresented local K-12 and college youth, work with neighboring Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and develop sustainable plastic waste removal programs in Appalachia. PART 2: TECHNICAL SUMMARY The vast amount of accumulated plastic waste requires a better ending point than landfills or oceans. Chemical upcycling is an attractive method to bring low-value plastic waste into high-value chemicals and materials. This project utilizes plastic waste as a chemical feedstock, much like “crude oil” except that it requires no drilling or mining. Two high-volume plastics, including polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), will be converted to high-value surfactants. The project will (a) provide an understanding of temperature-gradient thermolysis for producing controlled degradation intermediates and (b) develop upcycling strategies to produce value-added ionic and non-ionic surfactants. Three main research tasks of the project include: 1) employment of temperature-gradient thermolysis to degrade PE and PP, 2) functionalization of the thermolysis products with ionic end groups to form amphiphilic molecules for use as surfactants, and 3) functionalization of the thermolysis products into non-ionic molecules. The proposed research will impact the fields of polymers and surfactants and enable the upcycling of plastics into high-value chemicals. The upcycling strategy removes plastic waste, elongates the lifespan of carbon in a reduced form, decreases carbon emissions, and mitigates environmental pollution. The educational impacts include training underrepresented K-12 and first-generation college students in Appalachia. The educational components share the central theme of “polymer sustainability” and are highly integrated with research. .This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

第1部分：非技术摘要塑料废物是一项全球挑战，必须应对实现可持续的未来。 PI开发了一种“级联退化和升级”（“ DEG”）的技术，该技术代表了一种新兴的有效方法，将塑料废物转化为高价值化学物质和材料。在降解由聚乙烯（PE）和聚丙烯（PP）制成的两个最常见的高量商业塑料中，温度梯度热解（塑料分子的受控热分解）非常有效地将它们转化为普通中间化学物质的一般用途。在平台中级化学品的升级中，PE和PP衍生的产品对于随后的转化率特别有用，以生产高价值材料，例如表面好的（例如肥皂，确定剂，表面修饰符等）。低成本塑料废物的高价值表面优惠的产量可以提供重大的经济激励措施，以解决现有的快速累积塑料废物。 PE和PP的受控“ DEG”将成为该项目的重点，它将为生产能源消耗和碳排放量减少的可持续生存主义者提供新的方法。 PE和PP衍生的中间分子的下游功能将使用其他塑料废物原料为未来的“废物到价值”开发奠定基础。该项目的教育组成部分与“塑料可持续性”的概念高度融合，将在包括代表性不足的本地K-12和大学青年在内的各个级别的学生培训学生，并与邻近的历史悠久的黑人学院和大学合作，并在阿巴拉契亚开发可持续的塑料清除计划。第2部分：技术总结大量累积的塑料废物需要比垃圾填埋场或海洋更好的终点。化学升级是将低价值塑料废物带入高价值化学物质和材料的有吸引力的方法。该项目利用塑料废物作为化学原料，就像“原油”一样，除了不需要钻孔或采矿。两种高体积塑料，包括聚乙烯（PE）和聚丙烯（PP），将转换为高价值表面。该项目将（a）提供该项目的三个主要研究任务，包括：1）使用温度梯度热解降解PE和PP，2）用离子最终组的热解产品的官能化，以形成两亲的分子，以用作表面活性剂，以及3）将热溶液产物的功能化为非离子分子的功能。拟议的研究将影响聚合物和表面活性剂的领域，并使塑料升级为高价值化学物质。升级策略消除了塑料废物，以降低形式延长碳的寿命，减少碳排放，并减轻环境污染。教育影响包括培训代表性不足的K-12和阿巴拉契亚的第一代大学生。教育组成部分共享“聚合物可持续性”的中心主题，并与研究高度融合。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响审查标准评估被认为是宝贵的支持。