(344b) Efficient Modular Plasma Microreactor for Upcycling of Plastic Waste Derivatives

The pervasive and ubiquitous plastic pollution leads to the inherent need for an eco-friendly solution to mitigate this issue. Herein, the oxidative functionalization of plastic waste derivatives, particularly long aliphatic alkanes, using non-thermal, atmospheric plasma processing is presented as a green, catalyst-free step for plastic waste upcycling. A modular plasma microreactor utilizing Ar/O₂ gas mixtures was employed to functionalize n-dodecane. C₁₂ secondary alcohols and ketones emerged as the main products with high production rates due to enhanced mass transfer via microreactor assembly. Higher conversions resulted in the formation of difunctional oxygenates, oligomerized oxygenates, and lighter hydrocarbon products stemming from carbon cleavage. The residence time and plasma-liquid interface were optimized by modifying the gas and liquid flow rates to achieve competitive energy yields. A mixture of liquid n-alkanes obtained through catalytic hydrogenolysis of low-density polyethylene was tested using the plasma microreactor to confirm process applicability. The results hold promise for upcycling plastic waste degradation products at ambient conditions using green, catalyst-free plasma discharges.