Project description
Turning plastic waste into valuable fuels with scalable green catalysts
The accumulation of plastic waste, driven by inefficient recycling systems, has created a global environmental and health crisis. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MAP4PWV project will design chemical recycling methods aligned with the European Green Deal. Due to the use of costly noble metal catalysts and the unfeasibility of scaling them up, the project studies the alternative of using less expensive non-noble metals as catalysts, especially nickel-based zeolite catalysts. Bifunctional catalytic hydrocracking, which involves conversion of polyolefin plastic to fuel or other chemicals, is the project’s target strategy. The research will also establish a multi-level modelling platform linking molecular level reactions to industrial processing.
Objective
Plastic waste is becoming increasingly problematic due to its rapid accumulation and inefficient recycling. Most plastic waste is mismanaged, posing significant environmental and health risks. There is an urgent need for effective plastic waste upcycling to mitigate its harmful impacts, foster sustainability and a greener future. This goal is envisioned by the European Green Deal. Bifunctional catalytic hydrocracking is a promising technique in scope of chemical upcycling, which can selectively convert polyolefin waste into value-added products like fuels. However, challenges remain in high economic cost of noble-metal catalysts and lack of scalable industrial applications, preventing this technique from practical implementation.
The core objective is to deepen mechanistic understanding and promote practical application of non-noble-metal-based bifunctional catalytic hydrocracking, enabled by advanced computational methods. This will be achieved by developing a multiscale computational framework, spanning atomistic to process-level investigations. Two parallel catalytic models of metal surfaces and zeolite pores will be established to simulate a state-of-the-art hydrocracking system using nickel-supported ZSM-5 zeolite. Reaction profiles and complete thermodynamics at the atomic and molecular scale will be generated. Hierarchical insights from first-principles calculations will be used to develop a kinetic model, and then the activity, selectivity, stability, and yield of the bifunctional hydrocracking process will be predicted under relevant reaction conditions. To deliver this, density functional theory, machine learning, and kinetic Monte Carlo methods will be integrated into the workflow. The methodology will be validated by pioneering studies and experimental analyses from project collaborators. The project’s outcomes will address challenges in plastic waste valorisation, providing guidance to experimentalists and engineers working in plastic upcycling.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering waste management waste treatment processes recycling
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry inorganic compounds
- natural sciences computer and information sciences computational science
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels
- social sciences economics and business economics sustainable economy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
OX1 2JD Oxford
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.