A cleaner way to make high-quality ethylene using electricity

What is it about?

We developed a cleaner and cheaper way to purify ethylene using renewable electricity instead of traditional heat-based methods. This process removes acetylene—an unwanted impurity—from crude ethylene more efficiently and with fewer carbon emissions. We tested various metal nanoparticle catalysts and found that copper nanocubes and small silver particles delivered the best results, with copper removing 99.7% of acetylene and remaining stable for 120 hours. A cost analysis showed this method could reduce treatment costs to $0.74 per kilogram, nearly half the cost of current technologies, while cutting carbon emissions by over 50%. This shows strong potential for a more sustainable and scalable approach to producing high-quality ethylene for plastics.

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Photo by FlyD on Unsplash

Photo by FlyD on Unsplash

Why is it important?

We found a cleaner and more sustainable way to remove acetylene from ethylene, a key step in making plastics. Unlike traditional methods that use heat and fossil fuels, our approach uses electricity and special metal nanoparticles made from copper and silver. We tested many catalyst options and showed that this method works well, costs less, and produces fewer emissions. Our study also looked at the real-world costs and environmental impact, confirming that this process is ready for large-scale use. This work is an important step toward greener, more efficient chemical manufacturing.

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