he University of Akron has secured nearly US$5.5 million in federal funding to advance innovative technologies in plastics recycling and energy transmission efficiency, positioning the institution at the forefront of sustainable materials development.

The grants, awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), target the development of “disruptive and ambitious technologies that advance America’s energy future,” according to a recent report in Plastics News.

The larger portion of the funding, US$3.14 million, will support a project led by Dr. Yilmaz Sozer titled “Chemi-Mechanical Recycling of Mixed Plastic Residues by Reactive Solvothermal Blending and Purification Project.”

This initiative aims to develop an innovative recycling technology that can effectively blend and purify mixed plastics, removing volatile organic compounds and pigments to create higher-quality recycled materials suitable for manufacturing applications.

The technology has broad implications for the plastics industry, potentially benefiting manufacturers, recyclers and material recovery facilities, as well as companies committed to sustainable packaging. Additionally, the process could reduce dependency on petroleum for virgin plastic production.

The second project, awarded just under $2.3 million, focuses on energy integration technology. Led by Dr. James Eagan, the “Double Alternating Current Overhead Circuit Utilization with Blended DC Transmission Line Edging Project” aims to enhance transmission and distribution capacity of existing alternating current (AC) lines by integrating them with high voltage direct current (DC) energy networks.

The ARPA-E funding specifically targets technological innovations addressing three goals: developing abundant primary energy, creating flexible energy distribution systems and advancing carbon utilization technologies.

Source: “University of Akron lands $5.5M to advance plastic recycling and energy efficiency,” Plastics News, February 3, 2025.