Iowa State Advances Plastic Waste-to-Diesel Technology With DOE Support

Researchers have validated diesel fuel produced from plastic film and secured additional federal funding to support larger-scale testing.

MONTREAL (RecyclingMonster): Researchers at Iowa State University and Ames National Laboratory are advancing a patented catalytic process that converts waste plastic film into diesel fuel, with support from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy I-Corps program.

The research targets difficult-to-recycle materials such as grocery bags and shrink wrap, which can interfere with conventional recycling equipment when improperly collected. Some plastic films can, however, be recycled through dedicated collection and processing programs.

The project is led by Iowa State chemistry professor and Ames National Laboratory scientist Aaron Sadow, working with professor Wenyu Huang and Iowa State graduate Akalanka Tennakoon.

How Researchers Convert Plastic Film Into Diesel Fuel

The patented process uses shredded or pelletized plastic film, a catalyst and hydrogen gas in a reactor to produce hydrocarbons that can be distilled into liquid diesel fuel.

According to the DOE, independent testing against the ASTM D975 diesel fuel standard has validated the resulting fuel quality and demonstrated compatibility with conventional diesel engines.

The researchers also collected performance, emissions, energy consumption and operating-cost data using post-industrial plastic waste supplied by American Packaging Corporation.

DOE Funding Supports Larger-Scale Demonstration

The researchers initially participated in the National Science Foundation's I-Corps program before joining DOE's Energy I-Corps initiative to assess potential markets, customer requirements and commercialization challenges.

The team has since secured additional DOE funding to develop a reactor approximately 10 times larger than its existing experimental equipment.

The expanded system is expected to support longer operating periods, additional performance testing and demonstrations for potential commercial partners.

Commercial Viability Remains Under Evaluation

The technology could offer waste operators and manufacturers another option for plastic film that cannot be recovered economically through established recycling channels.

However, commercial adoption will depend on feedstock availability, hydrogen requirements, processing costs, equipment performance and the value of the resulting fuel.

Researchers are gathering additional technical and economic information to assess the technology's potential for broader deployment. Producing fuel from plastic waste is an energy-recovery pathway, not the same as recycling plastic into new plastic products.

Primary source: U.S. Department of Energy, November 10, 2026.

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantagemag.com