Before embarking on a transcontinental journey, jet airplanes fill up with tens of thousands of gallons of fuel. In the event of a crash, such large quantities of fuel increase the severity of an explosion upon impact. Researchers ...
Polymers
Oct 1, 2015
2
781
An enzyme variant created by engineers and scientists at The University of Texas at Austin can break down environment-throttling plastics that typically take centuries to degrade in just a matter of hours to days.
Polymers
Apr 27, 2022
19
1100
Muhammad Rabnawaz, an associate professor in Michigan State University's School of Packaging and recent inductee into the National Academy of Inventors, has always believed that the most brilliant solution is also the simplest.
Polymers
Sep 8, 2023
3
731
Biodegradable plastics have been advertised as one solution to the plastic pollution problem bedeviling the world, but today's "compostable" plastic bags, utensils and cup lids don't break down during typical composting and ...
Polymers
Apr 21, 2021
4
1345
A new Tel Aviv University study describes a process to make bioplastic polymers that don't require land or fresh water—resources that are scarce in much of the world. The polymer is derived from microorganisms that feed on ...
Polymers
Dec 24, 2018
17
1862
Car tires, replacement hip joints, bowling balls—these and other items are made from a class of plastics called thermosets, known for extreme durability.
Polymers
Jan 29, 2025
0
693
Polyester is the second most used textile in the world and an environmental menace, especially because most of it never gets recycled. The fabric, a blend of plastic and cotton, has been difficult for the industry to separate ...
Polymers
Aug 4, 2023
1
683
Detergents may begin their journey by cleaning our clothes, but they end up contaminating the environment, flowing into rivers, ponds, and oceans, where they severely disrupt aquatic animal life. Even after wastewater treatment, ...
A thin film that reflects light in intriguing ways could be used to make road signs that shine brightly and change color at night, according to a study that will be published on Aug. 9 in Science Advances.
Polymers
Aug 9, 2019
15
643
Army-funded researchers discovered how to make materials capable of self-propulsion, allowing materials to move without motors or hands.
Polymers
Feb 1, 2021
1
635
