--- title: "Upcycling Polyolefins into Jet Fuel Components" id: "11138" type: "post" slug: "upcycling-polyolefins-into-jet-fuel-components" published_at: "2026-04-30T13:15:21+00:00" modified_at: "2026-04-24T13:36:36+00:00" url: "https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/upcycling-polyolefins-into-jet-fuel-components-011138/" markdown_url: "https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/upcycling-polyolefins-into-jet-fuel-components-011138.md" excerpt: "A breakthrough method transforms HDPE waste into jet fuel components, boosting yield, quality, and sustainability." taxonomy_category: - "Aerospace" - "Business" - "Circular Economy" - "Education & Training" - "Energy Generation" - "Industry" - "Materials" - "People" - "Polyethylene" - "Polyolefins" - "Recycling" - "Resins" - "Sustainability" - "Trending" taxonomy_post_tag: - "aviation" - "Beta zeolites" - "C8-C16 hydrocarbons" - "Carbon Footprint" - "Catalysts" - "chemical engineering" - "decalin" - "Fe/Beta" - "Fe/Beta catalyst" - "hydrocracking" - "jet fuel components" - "plastic waste" - "plastic-to-fuel" - "Polyolefins" - "pyrolysis" - "renewable energy" - "solvent thermal liquefaction" - "sustainable aviation fuel" - "thermal cracking" - "thermal liquefaction" - "zeolites" --- [Home](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/) » [News](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/news/) » [Industry](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/c/industry/) » [Aerospace](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/c/industry/aerospace/) » Upcycling Polyolefins into Jet Fuel Components # Upcycling Polyolefins into Jet Fuel Components Pyrolysis can make jet fuel components from plastic waste.### A breakthrough method transforms HDPE waste into jet fuel components, boosting yield, quality, and sustainability. Thermal conversion of plastic waste into fuel can replace fossil fuels while simultaneously mitigating environmental pollution. When using pyrolysis for polyolefins, catalysts can significantly reduce the energy required for thermal cracking. Zeolites are particularly beneficial for the production of hydrocarbons in the jet fuel range. **You can also read:** [Zeolites: A Mineral’s Role in Upcycling Plastic Waste.](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2025/12/zeolites-a-minerals-role-in-upcycling-plastic-waste-010158/) ## Novel Method Converting HDPE into Jet Fuel This method uses Fe/Beta catalysts, synthesized by impregnating Beta zeolites with a SiO2:Al2O3 ratio of 30. Decalin, a solvent and direct fuel blend component, reacts with Fe-zeolite catalysts during HDPE cracking. This produces oil with a high heating value (HHV) with significant potential as a jet fuel component. Researchers developed a methodology to obtain 84.0 wt% oil from HDPE. Figure courtesy of [Efficient polyolefin plastic upcycling into jet fuel components over a Fe/Beta catalyst in decalin.](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468025726000038) ## Catalyst Optimization During development of this methodology, researchers evaluated a variety of catalysts with different Fe loadings. A Fe-loaded catalyst with a nominal 10 wt% Fe (10Fe/Beta) delivered optimal performance. Using this catalyst, researchers obtained an oil yield of 84.0 wt% under 300 °C for 90 minutes. This outperformed a commercial Beta zeolite catalyst alone, with an oil yield of 74.2 wt% primarily composed of gasoline-range hydrocarbons. Using the 10Fe/Beta catalyst, the resultant oil’s carbon number distribution was mainly concentrated in C8-C16. These carbon numbers indicate that the resulting product is suitable for jet fuel. ## Solvent Thermal Liquefaction Three stages comprise the thermal liquefication of polymers in solvent: - Depolymerization/cracking - Dissociation - Recombination During solvent thermal liquefaction (STL), HDPE melts and undergoes protonation and β-scission. Through electron transfer, Lewis acid sites activate C-H bonds to promote radical generation. As a hydrogen-donor solvent, decalin undergoes dehydrogenation and forms tetralin, releasing hydrogen from the catalyst surface. The STL process overcomes shortcomings in pyrolysis, such as secondary reactions like deep dehydrogenation and condensation. Dehydrogenative aromatization forms excessive aromatics, reducing coke formation. By incorporating decalin, STL becomes a feasible method for producing jet fuel. Decalin solvent increases the reaction pathways to transform HFPE to liquid fuels. Figure courtesy of[Efficient polyolefin plastic upcycling into jet fuel components over a Fe/Beta catalyst in decalin.](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468025726000038) ## Enhancing Yield of Fuels from HDPE As a hydrogen donor solvent, decalin plays a critical role in this method, while researchers prepared the Fe/Beta catalyst using a simple impregnation approach. As a result, the catalytic reaction achieved an 84.0 wt% yield of liquid fuel, primarily composed of cycloalkanes and alkanes. In particular, the C8–C16 hydrocarbon fraction reached up to 96.9 area%, while delivering a high heating value of 44.5 MJ/kg. This performance is attributed to the uniformly dispersed Fe nanoparticles and the catalyst’s optimized acidity profile, which together enhance catalytic activity. Consequently, the process effectively suppresses the formation of aromatics and unsaturated hydrocarbons. Overall, this method improves both the yield and quality of liquid fuels suitable for jet fuel applications. By **[Julienne Smith](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/author/juliennesmith/)** | April 30, 2026 ##### [Julienne Smith](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/author/juliennesmith/) [+ postsBio ⮌](#) - Julienne Smith [Renewable Functional Coatings for Advanced Applications](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/renewable-functional-coatings-for-advanced-applications-011134/) - Julienne Smith [Nanocomposite Films from Car Bumper Waste](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/nanocomposite-films-from-car-bumper-waste-011041/) - Julienne Smith [Emerging Markets for Polyolefins in the Solar Industry](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/emerging-markets-for-polyolefins-in-the-solar-industry-011128/) - Julienne Smith [Artificial Rattan: Furniture from PolyAl](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/artificial-rattan-furniture-from-polyal-011037/) ### Other posts you could read [April 7, 2026Biodegradable Planting Bags: A Solution for Agricultural Plastic Waste](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/biodegradable-planting-bags-a-solution-for-agricultural-plastic-waste-011023/) [April 28, 2026IKV Colloquium 2026: The Journey of Research and Industry](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/ikv-colloquium-2026-the-journey-of-research-and-industry-010989/) [April 24, 2026Emerging Markets for Polyolefins in the Solar Industry](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/emerging-markets-for-polyolefins-in-the-solar-industry-011128/) [April 14, 2026How to Test for Chemical Resistance in Plastic Components](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/how-to-test-for-chemical-resistance-in-plastic-components-010963/) [April 22, 2026Beyond Flaps: How Composite Skins Enable Morphing Wing Design](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/beyond-flaps-how-composite-skins-enable-morphing-wing-design-010950/) [April 13, 2026Upcycling PET Through Artificial Photosynthesis](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/upcycling-pet-through-artificial-photosynthesis-010940/) [April 8, 2026Recycled Carbon Fiber from Automotive Waste](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/recycled-carbon-fiber-from-automotive-waste-010930/) [April 17, 2026Conveying PCR: Reducing Fines, Angel Hair, and Scrap](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/conveying-pcr-reducing-fines-angel-hair-and-scrap-011052/) ## Share Your Thoughts [Cancel reply](/2026/04/upcycling-polyolefins-into-jet-fuel-components-011138/#respond) - [https://twitter.com/share?url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=11138&text=Upcycling+Polyolefins+into+Jet+Fuel+Components&via=Plastics_Mag](https://twitter.com/share?url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=11138&text=Upcycling+Polyolefins+into+Jet+Fuel+Components&via=Plastics_Mag) - [https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=11138&t=Upcycling+Polyolefins+into+Jet+Fuel+Components](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=11138&t=Upcycling+Polyolefins+into+Jet+Fuel+Components) - [https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=11138&title=Upcycling%20Polyolefins%20into%20Jet%20Fuel%20Components&summary=A+breakthrough+method+transforms+HDPE+waste+into+jet+fuel+components%2C+boosting+yield%2C+quality%2C+and+sustainability.&source=Plastics+Engineering](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=11138&title=Upcycling%20Polyolefins%20into%20Jet%20Fuel%20Components&summary=A+breakthrough+method+transforms+HDPE+waste+into+jet+fuel+components%2C+boosting+yield%2C+quality%2C+and+sustainability.&source=Plastics+Engineering) - [https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=11138&title=Upcycling+Polyolefins+into+Jet+Fuel+Components](https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=11138&title=Upcycling+Polyolefins+into+Jet+Fuel+Components) - [/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#330c404651595650470e635f5240475a504013765d545a5d5656415a5d54131e136643504a505f5a5d5413635c5f4a5c5f56555a5d40135a5d475c13795647137546565f13705c5e435c5d565d474015515c574a0e5b47474340091c1c4444441d435f5240475a5040565d545a5d5656415a5d541d5c41541c0c430e020202000b](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#330c404651595650470e635f5240475a504013765d545a5d5656415a5d54131e136643504a505f5a5d5413635c5f4a5c5f56555a5d40135a5d475c13795647137546565f13705c5e435c5d565d474015515c574a0e5b47474340091c1c4444441d435f5240475a5040565d545a5d5656415a5d541d5c41541c0c430e020202000b) - [#comments](#comments)