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Polymers news
Moisture-powered polymers could make cleaning CO₂ from air more efficient
Over the past century, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased dramatically. This rise has contributed to global warming and led to many harmful effects, including shifting weather patterns and more frequent ...
Polymers
2 hours ago
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Polymer-chemistry dataset created for training AI models
Polymers are fundamental to our daily lives, serving as the core components for a wide array of goods, including clothing, packaging, transportation infrastructure, construction materials, and electronics. Advances in polymer ...
Polymers
Mar 5, 2026
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Dissolvable hydrogel could enable personalized bone implants
Bones broken in a skiing accident usually heal on their own. But if the break is too severe or a bone tumor needs to be removed, surgeons insert an implant that enables the bone to grow back together. Implants often consist ...
Biochemistry
Mar 2, 2026
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From trash to climate tech: Rubber gloves find new life as carbon capturers
Every year, over 100 billion nitrile rubber gloves are produced. They are made from synthetic polymers—a material chemically related to plastic and derived from crude oil. The vast majority is used in the health care sector, ...
Polymers
Feb 27, 2026
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Reinforced enzyme expression drives high production of durable lactate-based polyester
Bio-based polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are considered one of the most promising sustainable alternatives to fossil-derived plastics. Poly[(D-lactate)-co-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (LAHB) is an environmentally biodegradable microbial ...
Polymers
Feb 25, 2026
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Sunlight-powered process turns plastic waste into acetic acid without added emissions
Researchers at the University of Waterloo have discovered a way to turn plastic waste into acetic acid, the main ingredient of vinegar, using sunlight. The breakthrough offers a promising new approach to reducing plastic ...
Polymers
Feb 23, 2026
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Chitosan-nickel biomaterial becomes stronger when wet, and could replace plastics
A new study led by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) has unveiled the first biomaterial that is not only waterproof but actually becomes stronger in contact with water. The material is produced by the incorporation ...
Biochemistry
Feb 18, 2026
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Does vegan-friendly haircare work? Early tests show shinier, easier-to-comb strands
To find new ways to shield hair from heat, sunlight and air pollution, researchers in Brazil are turning to vegan-friendly ingredients for shampoos and conditioners. Published in ACS Omega, early tests show that a fruit-algae ...
Biochemistry
Feb 16, 2026
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New 3D printing ink uses 70% lignin and recycles with water
Additive manufacturing (AM) methods, such as 3D printing, enable the realization of objects with different geometric properties, by adding materials layer-by-layer to physically replicate a digital model. These methods are ...
Polymers
Feb 12, 2026
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Exploring how the immune system detects drugs coated with 'stealth' polymers
A recent study by researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo unveils the molecular mechanisms explaining why some "stealth" drug coatings fail to evade the immune system. Using single-molecule atomic force microscopy, the ...
Biochemistry
Feb 10, 2026
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A quick stretch switches this polymer's capacity to transport heat
Most materials have an inherent capacity to handle heat. Plastic, for instance, is typically a poor thermal conductor, whereas materials like marble move heat more efficiently. If you were to place one hand on a marble countertop ...
Polymers
Feb 9, 2026
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Listening to polymers collapse: 'Water bridges' pull the strings
It is not easy to follow the interactions of large molecules with water in real time. But this can be easier to hear than to see. This is how an international team deciphered the role of water in the collapse of PNIPAM.
Polymers
Feb 5, 2026
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The compleximer: New type of plastic mixes glass-like shaping with impact resistance
Researchers at Wageningen University & Research have developed a new type of plastic that, according to materials theory, should not be able to exist. Its properties sit somewhere between those of glass and plastic: it is ...
Polymers
Feb 5, 2026
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Sustainable polyurethane production without toxic isocyanate
Chemical compounds like isocyanate are toxic and trigger allergies or asthma. However, they remain indispensable for the chemical industry. They are needed especially in the production of PUR. These plastics are highly versatile ...
Polymers
Feb 2, 2026
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Shining a light on sustainable sulfur-rich polymers that stay recyclable
For the first time, scientists have used ultraviolet (UV) light, a low-cost and readily available energy source, to successfully synthesize more sustainable and recyclable polymer materials. Led by green chemistry experts ...
Polymers
Jan 30, 2026
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New chemi-mechanical process removes pigments and restores properties in recycled plastics
Researchers in Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Department of Chemical Engineering and at the University of Akron have published research in Chemical Engineering Journal about a new technology that seeks to solve long-standing ...
Polymers
Jan 29, 2026
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Biodegradable polymers used to develop eco-friendly, high-performance gas sensors
Air pollutants like nitrogen dioxide (NO2), primarily produced during fossil fuel combustion, pose a serious concern for human health, contributing to respiratory diseases like pulmonary edema, bronchitis, and asthma. Effective ...
Polymers
Jan 29, 2026
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Biodegradable bark–plastic composite lets engineers predict product lifetime from tensile tests
Old trees are learning new tricks with the advent of composite materials. A "green composite" made from biodegradable polymers and the waste bark of the Yakushima Jisugi tree was developed by a research team at Tohoku University. ...
Polymers
Jan 29, 2026
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How smart polymer solutions transition to gels around body temperature
In the world of modern medicine, most people focus on the active pharmaceutical ingredients, which are the chemicals that specifically fight a disease's symptoms or causes. However, the unsung heroes of pharmacy are excipients—substances ...
Biochemistry
Jan 28, 2026
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From fleeting to stable: Scientists uncover recipe for new carbon dioxide-based energetic materials
When materials are compressed, their atoms are forced into unusual arrangements that do not normally exist under everyday conditions. These configurations are often fleeting: when the pressure is released, the atoms typically ...
Polymers
Jan 26, 2026
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