The US government on Thursday announced plans to phase out single-use plastics on public lands, including the country's famous national parks, by 2032.
Environment
Sep 29, 2023
0
0
In a multi-year project, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed plasmonic plastic—a type of composite material with unique optical properties that can be 3D-printed. This research has ...
Nanomaterials
Sep 28, 2023
0
29
In two recent papers, Saint Louis University researchers report finding high concentrations of microplastics present in a Missouri cave system that had been closed to human visitors for 30 years.
Earth Sciences
Sep 27, 2023
1
5049
Bacteria discharged to the oceans in sewage and wastewater thrive on the biofilms that form on plastic waste. This may be leading to the somewhat unanticipated problem of antimicrobial resistance.
Environment
Sep 27, 2023
0
8
Plastic particles less than 5 mm in size are called "microplastics." These tiny bits of plastic are often found in industrial effluents or form from the degradation of bulkier plastic waste. Research shows that large amounts ...
Environment
Sep 27, 2023
0
60
A group of synthetic bacteria that can efficiently turn plastic waste into useful chemicals is presented in Nature Communications. These bacteria could help to tackle the growing problem of plastic pollution and produce valuable ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 27, 2023
0
38
Plastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic organic amorphous solid materials suitable for the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular weight, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce costs.
The word derives from the Greek πλαστικός (plastikos) meaning fit for molding, and πλαστός (plastos) meaning molded. It refers to their malleability, or plasticity during manufacture, that allows them to be cast, pressed, or extruded into an enormous variety of shapes—such as films, fibers, plates, tubes, bottles, boxes, and much more.
The common word plastic should not be confused with the technical adjective plastic, which is applied to any material which undergoes a permanent change of shape (plastic deformation) when strained beyond a certain point. Aluminum, for instance, is plastic in this sense, but not a plastic in the common sense; while some plastics, in their finished forms, will break before deforming and therefore are not plastic in the technical sense.
There are two types of plastics: thermoplastics and thermosets. Thermoplastics, if exposed to enough heat, will melt. Thermosets will keep their shape until they are charred and burnt. Some examples of thermoplastics are grocery bags, piano keys and some automobile parts. Examples of thermosets are children's dinner sets and circuit boards.
This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA
