05/29/2026
By Danielle Fretwell

The Francis College of Engineering, Department of Energy Engineering, Renewable, invites you to attend a Doctoral Dissertation defense by Andrew Boules titled: "Nonthermal Plasma Hydrogen Production from Plastic and Biomass Waste"

Candidate Name: Andrew Boules
Degree: Doctoral
Defense Date: Thursday, June 11, 2026
Time: 1-3 p.m.
Location: Southwick Hall, Room 240

Committee:
Advisor: Juan Pablo Trelles, Professor, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Committee Members
1. David K. Ryan, Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell
2. Ertan Agar, Professor, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell
3. John Hunter Mack, Professor, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Abstract:
Human activity has led to the generation of massive amounts of solid waste, with the ubiquity of plastic waste posing a significant societal challenge as it disrupts global ecosystems and impacts human health. Solid waste valorization, defined as the conversion of waste into value-added products, can limit waste accumulation while generating economic value. Plasma technology offers scalable, electricity-driven routes for converting plastic and biomass waste into hydrogen, enabling decentralized, environmentally benign hydrogen production consistent with circular economy goals. In this work, we investigated streamer dielectric-barrier discharge (sDBD) nonthermal plasma for hydrogen extraction from plastic and biomass feedstocks at atmospheric pressure, without relying on costly or environmentally hazardous solvents, catalysts, or consumables. We integrated chemical, electrical, optical, and spectroscopic diagnostics with a three-pronged
modeling framework comprising a nonlinear electrical circuit model, a three-dimensional two-temperature thermal – electrical model, and a polymer decomposition model. First, we treated mixtures of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and cellulose to evaluate synergistic hydrogen production, defined as greater hydrogen production from mixtures than predicted from the individual feedstocks. Using nitrogen as the process gas, LDPE and cellulose mixtures exhibited up to 37% higher hydrogen yield than non-synergistic projections, whereas argon plasma treatment showed no synergy. Second, we studied hydrogen production from LDPE as a function of input energy density, feedstock thickness, and plasma intensity. Increasing energy density enhanced specific hydrogen yield but reduced energy efficiency. Larger feedstock thickness and higher plasma intensity improved specific hydrogen yield, owing to higher plasma temperatures and enhanced
plasma-to-feedstock energy transfer, as suggested by computational simulations. Finally, we evaluated nonthermal plasma hydrogen production from commercial-grade plastic films, encompassing three single-layer films (LDPE, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and nylon 6,6) and two multi-layer film structures containing aluminum. We also examined the effect of feedstock morphology by comparing hydrogen production from LDPE powder and LDPE film. PET and nylon 6,6 exhibited higher hydrogen recovery than LDPE, potentially because their oxygen and nitrogen contents suppress the formation of conductive carbon pathways that divert the discharge away from the polymer. In contrast, aluminum in multi-layer films likely diverted the discharge from the polymer layers, leading to relatively modest hydrogen yields. LDPE powder yielded more than twice the hydrogen yield of LDPE film, due to enhanced plasma – feedstock interaction, indicating the clear advantages of film pre-processing before plasma treatment. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of nonthermal plasma as an emerging waste-to-energy technology for hydrogen extraction from diverse polymer waste streams while elucidating the key factors governing hydrogen production.