Abstract
We report here the efficient electrochemical reforming of hydrocarbon polymer wastes, i.e. composed of C-C and C-H bonds only, in aqueous solution at 3 V. Anodic degradation of these chemically resilient wastes is achieved with Faradaic efficiencies of up to 32% on a Ni/Sb-doped SnO(2) electrode. The hydrophobic plastic particles, initially present as large aggregates, are solubilized during the early stages of the reaction, which is essential to achieve high reforming efficiencies. Cathodic H(2) generation is demonstrated with Faradaic and energy efficiencies of up to 57% and 30%, respectively. Under optimized conditions, electroreforming requires ca. 0.10 kWh/g of plastic degraded, which is >120 times more efficient than that previously reported on boron-doped diamond anodes. If scaled up, energy costs as low as ca. 2000$/ton could be achieved, while the H(2) generated could cover up to ca. 70% of these costs. CO(2) emissions, expected to be ranging from 1.65 to 13.02 kg(CO2eq)/kg(H2), are competitive with conventional plastic-to-H(2) high-temperature processes. Our results support the industrial potential of plastic electroreforming to efficiently treat chemically resilient plastic wastes.