Plastic waste transformed into jet fuel

June 07, 2026

Researchers from Nanjing Forestry University and Tsinghua University have unveiled an innovative technology that transforms plastic waste into high-value jet fuel components. While plastic-to-fuel conversion is not a new concept, this breakthrough method is designed to be more affordable, energy-efficient, and commercially viable than previous approaches.

According to the research published in Nature Energy, the process operates at lower temperatures and pressures while offering continuous production capabilities, eliminating the need for batch processing commonly used in earlier systems. The technology converts plastic waste into aviation fuel precursors through a carefully controlled hydrogen-assisted conversion process.

A new approach to plastic recycling

Professors Yadong Li and Dingsheng Wang, co-senior authors of the study, explained that their team has spent years exploring plastic hydrogenolysis using advanced catalyst technologies.

The researchers identified a major challenge in conventional plastic recycling methods: poor selectivity. Traditional plastic hydrogenation often produces a complex mixture of gases, oils, waxes, tars, char, and light hydrocarbons, making it difficult to generate large quantities of valuable fuel products.

By engineering catalysts at the atomic level, the team sought to direct chemical reactions toward producing specific fuel molecules rather than a broad range of unwanted byproducts.

How the plastic-to-jet fuel process works

The new conversion system relies on a two-stage process.

Step 1: Plastic Pyrolysis

In the first phase, known as pyrolysis, plastic waste is heated to temperatures above 860°F (460°C). This thermal treatment breaks long polymer chains into smaller hydrocarbon compounds.

Step 2: Hydrogenation and Fuel Formation

The second phase uses specialized catalysts to transform these hydrocarbon fragments into jet-fuel-range molecules. Operating at approximately 320°F (160°C), the process converts intermediate compounds into valuable products such as cycloalkanes and other dense hydrocarbons commonly used in aviation fuels.

After testing multiple catalyst formulations, the researchers discovered that isolated ruthenium (Ru) atomic sites supported on cobalt-aluminum oxide delivered exceptional performance. These catalysts efficiently convert styrene-derived compounds into ethylcyclohexane under near-ambient pressure conditions.

The team noted that polystyrene waste naturally breaks down into monomers and oligomers during pyrolysis, which can then be efficiently upgraded into aviation fuel molecules through the catalytic hydrogenation process.

Why polystyrene was chosen

Polystyrene was selected as the primary feedstock because it is one of the most widely discarded plastics worldwide. Commonly found in food containers, packaging materials, disposable cups, and insulation products, polystyrene is abundant in municipal waste streams.

Another advantage is its relatively clean thermal decomposition behavior, which simplifies the conversion process and improves product quality.

Economic Advantages and Scalability

Compared with traditional high-pressure batch reactors, the researchers believe their continuous plug-flow reactor design offers a more practical and cost-effective alternative.

The team has already conducted gram-scale catalyst production and testing, demonstrating that both catalyst manufacturing and the low-pressure hydrogenation process can be scaled successfully. Their techno-economic analysis estimates a minimum selling price between $1.00 and $1.80 per kilogram of fuel product, making it competitive with existing fuel production pathways.

Challenges ahead

Although the technology shows significant promise, commercial deployment remains a future objective. Large-scale industrial implementation will require further development, optimization, and validation outside laboratory environments.

The researchers plan to continue improving catalyst efficiency, durability, and production scalability. Future work will focus on developing even more active single-atom ruthenium catalysts while maintaining long-term structural stability during large-scale manufacturing.

In addition, the team intends to design a continuous solid-feeding system that can further streamline operations and support industrial-scale plastic waste processing.

A potential breakthrough for sustainable aviation fuel

As global efforts to reduce plastic pollution and lower carbon emissions accelerate, technologies that convert plastic waste into sustainable aviation fuel could play an important role in the circular economy. While further scale-up is necessary, this new process represents a promising step toward turning difficult-to-recycle plastics into valuable low-cost fuel for the aviation sector.