4 ms·
My understanding is that polyethylene, one of the most common plastics, has no double bonds, and the exact same ratio of carbon:hydrogen as shorter carbon chain
by etaioinshrdlu 4y ago
My understanding is that polyethylene, one of the most common plastics, has no double bonds, and the exact same ratio of carbon:hydrogen as shorter carbon chains. Simply breaking the polymer into short chains should literally give you oil. Why not?
- jcranmer 4y agoPolyethylene is (CH2)n, where n is in the thousands or so, or 2.00 H per C. An octane (e.g., for gasoline) would be C8H18, or 2.25 H per C. Smaller-chain molecules are even higher H/C ratio. So even polyethylene is short about .25 H per C.