‘Keep me in your prayers’: 21-year-old plastic-to-fuel US inventor missing after online plea

Julian Brown, a 21-year-old inventor known for turning plastic waste into fuel, has gone missing — sparking concern after a chilling final message on social media.

Brown built a strong following for his invention Plastoline, a solar-powered reactor that converts plastic into clean-burning gas.

In early July, he suddenly stopped posting. His last message read:

“Something is happening keep me in your prayers please SCREEN RECORD THIS. I don’t know.”

The cryptic post went viral, with many fearing he may be in danger or silenced. No official report has confirmed his whereabouts or any foul play.

Often called a “backyard scientist,” Brown operated his company, Jab’s Pyrolysis & Energy Recovery, from his Alabama home.

His lab featured solar panels powering his pyrolysis reactor — a process he claimed produced “less than recycling plastic” in emissions.

In 2024, Brown suffered second-degree burns during an explosion while experimenting. He recovered and continued to share updates online.

His GoFundMe campaign raised over $18,000 to support Plastoline’s development.

In March, he wrote:
“I have dedicated the last 5 years of my life, starting in high school to this journey. I begun this journey because I saw a huge lack in the industry of all things recycling. We are told recycling is occurring, yet any observance to our natural world would show otherwise.”

He also recalled a childhood moment:
“When I was five years old, I told my mom that I was gonna create something that would change the world. It’s always been within me — I just never knew what it was gonna be.”

While some believe Brown may have chosen to step away from the public eye, others are urging a formal investigation into his sudden disappearance.

(TOI)

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