UCLA & Ewha Womans University Develop ‘Alkali Thermal Treatment (ATT)’ Process to Convert Unsorted Mixed Plastic Waste into High-Purity Hydrogen Fuel with Zero CO₂ Emissions

July 19, 2026

UCLA Samueli Newsroom USA

Overview

A research team from UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and Ewha Womans University in South Korea has developed a novel chemical process to convert unsorted mixed plastic waste directly into high-purity hydrogen fuel. This ‘Alkali Thermal Treatment (ATT)’ operates at significantly lower temperatures than conventional gasification and sequesters carbon dioxide as a solid mineral, preventing greenhouse gas emissions. This innovative technology offers a groundbreaking approach to simultaneously address plastic waste and clean energy production.

In Depth

Key Findings

A collaborative research team from the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and Ewha Womans University in South Korea has jointly developed a revolutionary new chemical process. This process efficiently converts unsorted mixed plastic waste directly into high-purity hydrogen fuel, opening the door to transforming the global challenge of plastic pollution into a solution for clean energy production.

Technical Details

The developed process is named ‘Alkali Thermal Treatment (ATT)’. ATT operates at significantly lower temperatures compared to conventional plastic waste treatment technologies like gasification. This low-temperature operation not only reduces energy consumption but also enhances process safety and control. Most notably, this process does not release carbon from plastics into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide; instead, it efficiently sequesters it as a solid mineral. This completely avoids greenhouse gas emissions, achieving hydrogen production with zero environmental footprint. The technology is applicable to various types of mixed plastics, including polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene, and significantly reduces treatment costs and complexity by eliminating the need for sorting.

Background and Industry Context

Hundreds of millions of tons of plastic waste are generated globally each year, with much of it ending up in landfills or polluting oceans. Simultaneously, there is a growing demand for clean hydrogen energy as part of climate change mitigation efforts. However, hydrogen production still faces cost and resource constraints. This research presents a ‘two birds with one stone’ solution, addressing both the waste problem and the energy problem—two urgent global challenges. Hydrogen production from plastic waste also aligns with the principles of a circular economy, significantly contributing to the establishment of a sustainable society.

Strategic Significance and Outlook

The research by UCLA and Ewha Womans University offers an innovative means to transform plastic waste into a valuable resource. If the ATT process achieves further scale-up and commercialization, it has the potential to revolutionize both waste management and energy supply for municipalities and industries. Particularly, the advantage of directly generating hydrogen from mixed plastics bypasses the challenges of existing recycling infrastructure, promoting broader adoption. This technology is expected to play a crucial role in the future convergence of sustainable resource management and clean energy production.

Source: https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/new-process-turns-mixed-plastic-waste-hydrogen-fuel-without-sorting

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