A new type of plastic retains all properties after processing

An international team of researchers has unveiled a new type of plastic that can be created and reworked endlessly without losing its quality. This material will help reduce the number of harmful substances in the environment.

A team of researchers from the United States, China and Saudi Arabia has developed a new type of plastic that is able to retain its original qualities after rework. In an article published in the journal Science Advances, the group describes how the new plastic is made and how well it has performed in rework tests.

For many years, plastic has been considered a very convenient material – it is lightweight, durable and flexible, but its main drawback is that it takes a long time to process. Therefore, scientists began to look for a new type of plastic that can be easily remade.

Scientists tested the new plastic by mass depolymerizing at 100 ° C using a catalyst. Testing showed that it was split into the original monomer. They then separated the PBTL samples using a catalyst at room temperature. Another study showed that the sample was broken down into the original monomer.

The team then used the monomers to make new batches of PBTLs, proving that new plastics could be endlessly reworked and created. Researchers suggest that this process can be repeated indefinitely.

They propose using the new plastic to make many of the products that are now made using conventional plastics, significantly reducing the number of harmful substances that end up in the environment. The only caveat is that such plastic needs to be separated from other materials before being reworked.

Source: svidok.online