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Scientists develop novel method for strengthening PVC products

Researchers have developed a way to make one type of plastic material more durable and less likely to shed dangerous microplastics. Their study has identified a secure way to attach chemical additives to polyvinyl chloride ...

Bioinspired yarn can harvest water from fog

Scientists have developed a bioinspired yarn capable of harvesting water from fog, providing an innovative solution to water scarcity in arid regions. By imitating the alternating hydrophobic and hydrophilic patterns seen ...

Citrus waste converted to biopolymers using cavitation

The citrus industry generates a substantial amount of waste, primarily peels and seeds, which are often underutilized despite their rich cellulose and pectin content. Conventional pectin and cellulose extraction methods are ...

Mussel-inspired adhesive comes unglued on command

Modern integrated microelectronic devices are often poorly repairable and difficult to recycle. Debondable adhesives play a key role in the transition to a circular economy with sustainable resources, less waste, and intelligent ...

Nature-inspired patterns boost polymer toughness

Biological systems are renowned for their ability to create strong yet resilient structures. A sea sponge, for instance, grows in layers, forming unique patterns that integrate minerals with softer regions, creating an ideal ...

Polymer foam aims to transform oil spill cleanup

University of Waterloo researchers have developed a new material that can absorb more than eight times its weight in oil, offering a new solution in preventing groundwater contamination from spills or accidents. The study, ...

Porous gas-adsorbing materials reveal hidden softness

A team of researchers has reshaped our understanding of developing gas storage materials known as porous coordination polymers (PCPs), which is also known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).

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Polymers
Depolymerization method achieves exclusive chemical recycling of PET from cloth waste and plastic waste mixtures
Polymers
Chemists create gel to prevent leaks and boost lithium-ion battery life
Polymers
Scientists offer strong carbon plastics for aviation
Polymers
Catalytic process vaporizes plastic bags and bottles, yielding gases to make new, recycled plastics
Polymers
Chemical plastics recycling is ready to go: Researchers show that it's all about the stirring
Polymers
Biomass-based polymer can capture and release CO₂ without high pressure or extreme temperatures
Biochemistry
Bioengineers develop a new environmentally friendly adhesive polymer
Biochemistry
Stranded student helps design synthetic polymers to combat fungal infections
Polymers
Machine learning uses X-ray diffraction data from polymers to predict the behavior of new materials
Biochemistry
Living plastics: A new solution for plastic degradation through synthetic biology
Polymers
Materials scientists develop road map for designing responsive gels with unusual properties
Polymers
Chalk-based coating creates a cooling fabric
Polymers
AI accelerates discovery of next-gen polymers
Polymers
New supramolecular polymer shows spontaneous unfolding and aggregation
Polymers
Small molecule organic eutectics show potential for replacing plastics
Biochemistry
New bacteria-derived hydrogel shows promise for muscle tissue regeneration
Polymers
Researchers shed light on how to make photopolymerization much more efficient
Polymers
Researchers discover smarter way to recycle polyurethane
Polymers
Team demonstrates halogen bonding for selective electrochemical separation, a path to sustainable chemical processing
Polymers
Up-cycling petroleum waste into a high-performance yet sustainable triboelectric nanogenerator

Other news

Condensed Matter
Harnessing magnetic relaxation: 'Pac-Man effect' enables precise organization of superparamagnetic beads
Evolution
Study determines when and how pterosaurs went from tiny tree-climbers to towering terrestrial titans
Cell & Microbiology
Dietary zinc inhibits antimicrobial resistance gene transmission in lab tests
Space Exploration
ESA's Hera spacecraft set for asteroid 'crime scene investigation'
Space Exploration
Investigating the possibility of using asteroid material to grow edible biomass for astronauts
Molecular & Computational biology
Phage cocktail shows promise against drug-resistant bacteria
Superconductivity
Direct measurement of a subtle current phase relation shows potential for more stable superconducting qubits
Earth Sciences
Antarctic 'greening' at dramatic rate, satellite data show
Astronomy
The earliest galaxies formed amazingly fast after the Big Bang. Do they break the universe or change its age?
Social Sciences
Survey experiment reveals celebrities and politicians could be the 'missing link' to mitigate climate change
Materials Science
Innovative method targets removal of PFAS from wastewater
Superconductivity
Niobium-tin magnet could be key to unlocking potential of heavy-ion accelerator
Space Exploration
Solar flares may cause faint auroras across top of Northern Hemisphere
Plants & Animals
Scientists uncover auditory 'sixth sense' in geckos
Earth Sciences
Better monitoring of mining remediation: Selenium isotopes are good gauge of clean-up efforts
Soft Matter
Scientists achieve unprecedented control of active matter
Earth Sciences
Extensive afforestation and reforestation can brake global warming
Archaeology
Archaeologists shed light on the Tartessos culture's sustainable construction skills
Biochemistry
New molecule can mimic the effects of fasting and exercise
Quantum Physics
Quantum communication: Using microwaves to efficiently control diamond qubits

Polymers that mimic chameleon skin

Biological tissues have complex mechanical properties – soft-yet-strong, tough-yet-flexible – that are difficult to reproduce using synthetic materials. An international team has managed to produce a biocompatible synthetic ...

Making rusty polymers for energy storage

It's called a nanoflower, but if you could brush your cheek against its microscopic petals, you would find them cool, hard and … rusty.

Researchers discover a way to control the colour of OLEDs

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are used in smartphones and televisions to facilitate the high-contrast display of colours. Conjugated polymers are also often employed as organic semiconductors in such diodes. Researchers ...

Custom sequences for polymers using visible light

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University used a light-sensitive iridium-palladium catalyst to make "sequential" polymers, using visible light to change how building blocks are combined into polymer chains. By simply ...

Novel adhesive and thermally stable epoxy resins

Epoxy resins or epoxies are organic compounds that can be hardened into adhesive materials with excellent thermal stability, mechanical strength, and chemical resistance. The hardening or 'curing' results from cross-linking ...

Scientists create multifunctional protein-polymer films

A team from MSU, with international and Russian colleagues, has found that mixing dendrimers (tree-like polymers) and proteins induces spontaneous multilayer films. They are easily formed and retain the activity and function ...

'Random walk' of heat carriers in amorphous polymers

The intrinsic structure of amorphous polymers is highly disordered with long, entangled molecular chains. They are usually considered as thermal insulators due to their ultra-low thermal conductivity. One effective way to ...