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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

Evolution
Asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs may have led to the invention of 'ant agriculture'
Bio & Medicine
Paper-based sensor offers rapid cardiac diagnostics in 15 minutes
Astronomy
Astronomers detect multiple extended tidal tails in an old globular cluster
Environment
Study shows EV owners have bigger carbon footprint than average because they are wealthier
Earth Sciences
Why is Mount Everest so big? New research highlights a rogue river—but deeper forces are at work
Space Exploration
Nuclear rockets could travel to Mars in half the time, but designing the reactors that would power them isn't easy
Astronomy
Large radio bubble detected in galaxy NGC 4217
Plants & Animals
Study of global primate populations reveals predictors of extinction risk
Analytical Chemistry
Using AI to figure out the chemical composition of paints used in classical paintings
Earth Sciences
Limestone and iron reveal puzzling extreme rain in Western Australia 100,000 years ago
Astronomy
The earliest galaxies formed amazingly fast after the Big Bang. Do they break the universe or change its age?
Earth Sciences
Extensive afforestation and reforestation can brake global warming
Nanophysics
Theoretical physicist uncovers how twisting layers of a material can generate mysterious electron-path-deflecting effect
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
Condensed Matter
Harnessing magnetic relaxation: 'Pac-Man effect' enables precise organization of superparamagnetic beads
Earth Sciences
Antarctic 'greening' at dramatic rate, satellite data show
Space Exploration
Investigating the possibility of using asteroid material to grow edible biomass for astronauts
Space Exploration
ESA's Hera spacecraft set for asteroid 'crime scene investigation'
Superconductivity
Direct measurement of a subtle current phase relation shows potential for more stable superconducting qubits

Anti-counterfeit polymers work like fingerprints

(Phys.org)—When it comes to tagging items to prove their authenticity, the goal is to stay ahead of counterfeit technology. The best tags are unique, complex, easy to read, and difficult to reproduce. One naturally-occurring ...

New self-stretching material developed

Although most materials slightly expand when heated, there is a new class of rubber-like material that not only self-stretches upon cooling; it reverts back to its original shape when heated, all without physical manipulation.

Fine-tuned supramolecular polymerization

In nature, supramolecular complexes—chain-like structures that are composed of many small units linked mainly by weak non-covalent bonds—are assembled and disassembled in a precisely controlled way. Now, in work published ...

Five synthetic materials with the power to change the world

The New York World's Fair of 1939-40 was one of the greatest expos the world had ever seen. Visitors to Flushing Meadow Park in Queens were invited to see the "world of tomorrow" giving them a first glimpse of wonders such ...

Hierarchically porous polymers with fast absorption

A research team at KAIST has developed a method to form micropores of less than 2 nanometers within porous polymers where 10 nanometers long mesopores connect like a net. The advantage of the porous polymers is fast absorption ...

Solar cell polymers with multiplied electrical output

One challenge in improving the efficiency of solar cells is that some of the absorbed light energy is lost as heat. So scientists have been looking to design materials that can convert more of that energy into useful electricity. ...