New polymers can be used to make infinitely recyclable plastics

2024-02-01 10:07:47

According to New Atlas, although plastics are used in many ways, this is not the most environmentally friendly material. As we continue to use plastic products, the pollution of marine plastics is also becoming increasingly serious. We have even seen plastics appearing in Arctic sea ice, seeping deep into the ocean, and even entering the human food chain. In an attempt to get out of this situation, CSU chemists have now developed a polymer that clearly has the advantages of all plastics but can be easily decomposed and recycled.

The design of the new polymer is similar to the plastic used in daily use, which means that it is lightweight, heat-resistant and durable. The difference is that compared to traditional plastics, recycling is much easier, while traditional plastics require toxic chemicals or complex processes to decompose and recycle.

The team's new material manufacturing process is also relatively environmentally friendly. Its monomer can be polymerized at room temperature within minutes using a small amount of catalyst and no solvent. However, this polymer is chemically recyclable and designed to easily decompose into a monomer state through a mild reaction with the catalyst. It can then be polymerized again without first purification.

The new material was built on the team's previous research on chemically recyclable polymers, but the current iteration method has improved significantly. According to reports, the old version was soft, heat-resistant, and low in molecular weight and needed to be produced under extreme cold conditions - and now everything has improved. Researchers hope that the new polymer and its recycling process will one day reduce the amount of plastic waste in landfills and oceans. Prior to this, the team was studying other ways to synthesize these materials and how to expand the recycling infrastructure.

Eugene Chen, the principal researcher of the project, said: “Polymer can in principle be recycled chemically without recycling. “Our dream is to see this chemically recyclable polymer technology emerging in the market. ”

The study was published in the journal Science.

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