DULUTH, Ga. (WTVM) - A 22-year-old inventor is gaining viral attention for what he calls “Plastoline,” a fuel he says is made from plastic waste.
Julian Brown says he uses a process called microwave pyrolysis, powered by solar panels, to convert plastic into fuel. The vaporized petroleum is condensed back into liquid crude oil, which Brown says can then be refined into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel alternatives.
Brown began researching the idea in high school, building his first plastic-to-fuel reactor at 17 years old. Now, five years later, he is on his fifth prototype.
“This has been my passion since I was a senior in high school,” Brown said. “What I do is very expensive. A single part can cost tens of thousands of dollars, so grants have helped me get what I need to do it safely and optimally.”
According to Brown, his fuel has been tested by scientists and even used in cars. Some researchers say his diesel released cleaner emissions than traditional diesel.
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“I thought it was surprisingly well distilled,” one scientist said. “It blew my mind that plastic can be redistilled into diesel.”
Despite challenges, including cyberattacks and even helicopters hovering near his property, Brown says he’s determined to push Plastoline forward.
“I see it now as, let’s get it in the world and implemented,” Brown said. “That’s the whole point of why I started this.”
Brown plans to test his Plastoline fuel this weekend at a Nissan dealership in Duluth, where he says he will gas up a Dodge Scat Pack.
You can learn more about his project on Nature Jab.
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