British scientists have found a way to recycle plastic bottles into car fuel
The process combines plastic rubbish with a chemical solution to create hydrogen gas to power a car
SCIENTISTS have uncovered a way to turn plastic waste into a fuel for cars.
The process uses a chemical reaction to create hydrogen gas, with researchers hoping it could be used to power cars in the future.
Researchers at Swansea University developed the process, which involves combining light-absorbing material, plastic and a chemical solution, then exposing it to UV rays.
The concept has been pitched as a cheap alternative to recycling, as plastics don't need to be cleaned before being used.
When plastic is added to the solution and exposed to sunlight, it creates a hydrogen gas which could be used to power future hydrogen cars.
Currently the only hydrogen fuel-cell car available for sale in the UK is the Toyota Mirai - but the technology could prove more popular in the future as the emissions crackdown continues.
What are hydrogen cars and how do they work?
- Hydrogen fuel-cell cars are eco-friendly alternatives to petrol or diesel motors, which convert chemical energy to electrical energy.
- Similar to an electric vehicle, hydrogen cars are powered by large batteries. Hydrogen gas triggers a reaction to create electrical energy and power the motor.
- They are classified as ultra low emission vehicles as the only by-product is water vapour emitted from the tailpipe.
- Hydrogen cars have a similar range to petrol and diesel vheicles, and their engines are almost silent.
- The car's hydrogen tank can be refilled with pressurised gas in a few minutes at certain service stations.
Hydrogen power also comes at a price, with the Mirai retailing for a hefty £66,000.
Working in conjunction with a lab in Cambridge, researchers expect it will take a few years before the project can be rolled out on an industrial level.
And experts also claim the remaining plastic can be recycled to make new materials.
Dr Moritz Kuehnel, from Swansea University's chemistry department, said: "We are trying to find a use for what is not being recycled.
"PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is the plastic most plastic bottles are made from and this can be recycled, but in practice it is not always recycled.
"But even if you do recycle it, it needs to be very pure... and it has to be clean.
"Potentially you need to wash it which is very expensive, and even if you do all of that, the plastic you get isn't always as nice as virgin material.
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"The beauty of this process is... it can degrade all sorts of waste.
"Even if there is food or a bit of grease from a margarine tub, it doesn't stop the reaction, it makes it better.
"The process produces hydrogen gas. You can see bubbles coming off the surface. You can use it, for example, to fuel a hydrogen car."