In Episode 48 of F+L Webcast, Vicky Denton sits down with Robert Kennedy, co-founder of Aeternal Upcycling, to discuss a breakthrough approach to tackling plastic waste — and turning it into a valuable resource for the lubricants industry.Kennedy’s journey began at Argonne National Laboratory, where he focused on chemical conversions that transform plastic waste into high-demand petrochemical replacements. In 2022, he and his co-founder launched Aeternal Upcycling, supported by a U.S. Department of Energy fellowship aimed at translating lab-scale science into commercial reality.Unlike conventional pyrolysis processes — which typically produce low-value naphtha for refinery co-processing — Aeternal’s method uses hydrogenolysis. This catalytic process operates at lower temperatures but higher pressures, leveraging hydrogen to break plastics into high-purity paraffinic base oils and waxes. The result? Up to 99% selectivity for lube oil range products and yields exceeding 70% — potentially matching the economics of virgin base oil production.Aeternal’s focus on polyethylene and polypropylene — which make up about 60% of global plastic waste — positions the company to address a major environmental challenge while tapping into the growing polyalphaolefin (PAO) market. Kennedy believes their simplified process could allow them to compete with, and even outpace, established players once they scale.With increasing regulatory focus on recycled content and sustainable sourcing, particularly in Asia and Europe, Aeternal Upcycling’s technology could provide a unique competitive advantage — not only closing the loop on plastic waste, but also delivering high-performance base oils for tomorrow’s lubricants.
