New method for upcycling polyethylene is suitable for mass production as a raw material for nylon

It would greatly benefit the environment and climate if nylon—chemically known as polyamide—could be produced on a large scale from plastic waste in the future, rather than from petroleum, as has been the norm until now. At LIKAT in Rostock, chemists pursuing this approach have succeeded in selectively converting polyethylene—the main component of all plastic waste—into dicarboxylic acids, which can serve as chemical precursors for nylon.