Polymer production is a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To reduce this, the polymer industry needs to shift towards renewable carbon feedstocks such as biomass and CO 2 . Both feed-stocks have been shown to reduce GHG emissions in polymer production, however, often at the...
Researchers at the University of Birmingham , UK and Duke University, US, have described the ‘exceptional strength’ of novel polymers made from sugars, and the chemistry underpinning their characteristics, in a study published in Angew Chemie . The study examined two polymers based on...
A smart food packaging using corn proteins and infused with antimicrobial active ingredients (AIs) is said to kill bacteria in food and extend shelf-life by two to three days. Read more here . #Plastics #FoodPackaging #Biopolymers #Antimicrobial
Soft electronics, a rampant technological invention that requires the use of soft dielectric and conductive materials, encourage the use of natural polymers due to their inherent smoothness, biocompatibility, in vivo degradability, and diverse topologies. Biopolymers, such as polysaccharides and...
There are approximately 960,000 Ford Fiesta’s registered on Britain’s roads. Each of these cars requires 100 gallons or more of crude oil to manufacture the plastic in the car’s interior, bodywork, crumple zones and engine components. What’s more, this plastic will still be around long after the...
Finally, 3D-Printed Graphene Aerogels for Water Treatment. Graphene excels at removing contaminants from water, but it’s not yet a commercially viable use of the wonder material. That could be changing. In a recent study, University at Buffalo engineers report a new process of 3D printing...
Chemists Create Renewable Plant-Based Polymers. Researchers at the Laboratory of Cluster Catalysis at St Petersburg University have synthesized polymers from biomass. What makes them different is that they can be easily recycled. There are few polymers that can be recycled many times. This...
Recyclable Bioplastic Membrane to Clear Oil Spills from Water. Polymer scientists from the University of Groningen and NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, both in the Netherlands, have developed a polymer membrane from biobased malic acid. It is a superamphiphilic vitrimer epoxy resin...
The Expanding Possibilities of Bio-Based Polymers. Finding innovative and sustainable solutions to our material needs is one of the core objectives of green chemistry. The myriad plastics that envelop our daily life – from mattresses to food and cars – are mostly made from oil-based monomers...
Molecule From Nature Provides Fully Recyclable Polymers. Plastics are among the most successful materials of modern times. However, they also create a huge waste problem. Scientists from the University of Groningen (The Netherlands) and the East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST...