Microbubbles can release microplastics into our water
Microbubbles in the tap water you just poured into a plastic glass are strong enough to create tiny abrasions on the inner layer of the plastic—quietly adding to our growing microplastic problem.
Polymers news
Used cooking oil yields super strong glue and recyclable plastics
Plastics are made from crude oil and petroleum by-products, so a team of scientists decided to explore if they could turn waste cooking oil into a useful plastic material, and they succeeded.
AI-guided enzyme discovery enables 98.6% breakdown of polyurethane foam in hours
As the use of AI spreads through every industry and becomes more of a part of our lives every day, researchers are also looking into ways it can be used to solve some of the world's biggest problems. One of these problems ...
Color-changing organogel stretches 46 times its size and self-heals
Scientists from Taiwan have developed a new material that can stretch up to 4,600% of its original length before breaking. Even if it does break, gently pressing the pieces together at room temperature allows it to heal, ...
Reusable 'jelly ice' keeps things cold—without meltwater
No matter whether it's crushed or cubed, ice eventually melts into a puddle—but an alternative called jelly ice doesn't. Researchers Jiahan Zou and Gang Sun developed a one-step process to create the reusable, compostable ...
Polymers
Aug 18, 2025
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New automated platform accelerates discovery of high-performing polymer material blends
Scientists often seek new materials derived from polymers. Rather than starting a polymer search from scratch, they save time and money by blending existing polymers to achieve desired properties.
Polymers
Jul 28, 2025
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Heat and smart mixing boost enzymatic recycling of unsortable polyester plastics
Polyester plastics, commonly found in synthetic textiles and plastic components of home appliances, are notoriously difficult to recycle. In a study recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, ...
New bio-based hot glue made from industrial leftovers outperforms commercial adhesives
A new bio-based hot glue derived from a byproduct of the wood pulp industry beats traditional epoxy resins and commercial hot-melt glues in terms of adhesive performance.
Artificial cell-like structures mimic self-reproduction and release polymeric spores
Life on Earth possesses an exceptional ability to self-reproduce, which, even on a simple cellular level, is driven by complex biochemistry. But can self-reproduction exist in a biochemistry-free environment?
Light-triggered process breaks down polymers into monomers for easier recycling
A team of materials scientists and engineers at ETH Zurich has developed a light-triggered chemical process for breaking down certain polymers into their constituent monomers. The paper is published in the journal Science.
