Control no. 3387-2025 university of delaware DE-FOA-0003387 vision open 2024 project title: recycling of polyolefins via novel electrothermochemical processing new award university of delaware aims to…

The Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded University of Delaware a $2.888 million cooperative agreement on September 30, 2025, to develop electrothermochemical processing technology for recycling polyolefins from single-use plastics. The project, funded under ARPA-E (CFDA 81.135), aims to convert plastics at low temperatures and significantly decreased reaction times by electrifying the heating process to break down plastics into smaller reusable components with greater than 90 percent yield. The technology is designed to enable single-use plastic recycling while removing carbon from the environment and eliminating reliance on fossil fuel feedstocks.

Performance will take place in Newark, Delaware, with work running from September 30, 2025, through September 29, 2028. ARPA-E supports high-potential, high-impact energy technologies too early for private-sector investment, advancing novel approaches to generate, store, and use energy. University of Delaware, a private land-grant research institution, serves as the prime recipient.

Control no. 3387-2025 university of delaware DE-FOA-0003387 vision open 2024 project title: recycling of polyolefins via novel electrothermochemical processing new award university of delaware aims to convert single-use plastics at low temperatures and significantly decreased reaction times. The team will electrify the heating process to breakdown plastics into smaller components that can be reused with greater than 90% yield. This technology will allow recycling of single-use plastics, thereby removing carbon from the environment and eliminating the need to fossil fuel feedstocks.