Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States have found a way to elevate the quality of finished plastic by reconfiguring its molecular makeup. The goal is to turn plastic waste into higher-value feedstocks and raw materials for fresh products. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, signaling a meaningful step forward in polymer science and sustainable materials research.
The team frames their method with a CRISPR-like analogy, pointing to precise edits of polymer sequences rather than conventional breakdown and reforming. This comparison underscores a shift from traditional recycling, which often relies on melting plastics down and hoping for usable reformations, toward targeted molecular reengineering that preserves essential material characteristics.
The core idea centers on rearranging the building blocks along polymer chains to tune a plastic’s properties. By altering how subunits are arranged, researchers aim to control factors such as strength, toughness, heat resistance, and clarity, opening avenues for materials with performance that matches or surpasses current standards.
Lead author Jeffrey Foster explains the concept in practical terms: this approach is similar to CRISPR, but instead of editing gene chains, scientists are editing polymer chains. It is not a simple melt-and-recycle process; it represents a deliberate reshaping of matter at the molecular level to achieve more predictable outcomes for recycled plastics.
Conventional recycling through melting can degrade polymers with each successive cycle, diminishing quality and performance. In their experiments, the researchers explored a range of plastics that are often challenging to recycle, including both flexible and rigid types that resist easy processing through standard methods.
The team dissolved the polymers in dichloromethane and then modified their molecular structures using metathesis polymerization and cross-metathesis. Experts note that this approach allows existing building blocks to be rearranged without losing their fundamental characteristics, helping to maintain the integrity of the material’s original components while enabling new properties.
Scientists are also exploring how changing the subunits within the polymer chain and reordering them could yield high-performance thermoset materials such as epoxy resins, vulcanized rubber, polyurethane, and silicone. These substances are cross-linked and do not melt easily, making them tough to recycle by conventional methods. The ability to tune their subunits could unlock recycling options for a wider range of durable plastics and composites.
Earlier work by researchers demonstrated an inexpensive route to recycle PET plastic derived from fabric waste, illustrating that there are practical paths to reclaiming valuable materials from textile streams and other post-consumer sources. This line of work helps broaden the toolkit for keeping plastics circulating in the economy rather than ending up as waste.
Source: Journal of the American Chemical Society.