Julian Brown, an 21 -year -old Atlanta inventor, has caught worldwide attention after successfully promoting a car with a home fuel created entirely from plastic waste, which he called Plastoline.
Brown’s goal was to convert one of the world’s biggest environmental problems into a sustainable energy solution. Using a process known as microwave pyrolysis, it turned the discarded plastic into usable liquid hydrocarbons, compounds that can refine to obtain gasoline, diesel or fuel for airplanes.
“I wanted to show that the plastic does not have to destroy the planet,” Brown said in one of his first videos. “You can feed it.”
In a demonstration that quickly turned viral, Brown fed a Dodge Scat Pack 2023 sports car with its own manufacturing fuel. The motor of the car came life with a roar and advanced, confirming that Plastoline had the strength and consistency to boost a high performance vehicle.
Microwave pyrolysis, the chemical process on which Brown’s discovery is based, implies heating the plastic in the absence of oxygen until it decomposes into liquid components of the fuel.
Scientists have long known that this method works, but generally requires very high temperatures and generates some emissions. However, Brown’s experiment stands out for its use of microwave fueled by solar energy, which could make the process cleaner and more economical.
“If your process can be verified and replicated safely, it could help reduce both plastic waste and fuel dependence,” an energy researcher told Forbes.
Brown said his trip began when he was a teenager after learning about the impact of plastic pollution on the environment. With little financing and access to professional laboratories, he built his first prototype from waste materials.
“I built my first system using scrap and pieces of a broken microwave,” he recalls. “It took me for years to get the correct formula. I went through hundreds of failed tests, but I knew that science would remain.”
Over the years, he perfected his process and experimented with different types of plastic to improve performance and purity. His last prototype, which promoted the Dodge Scat Pack, marks his most successful test to date.
While it is not yet clear if Plastoline can be expanded for commercial use, Brown’s advance highlights the growing potential of basic innovation to solve global challenges.
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