Collaborate Disseminate
Engineers at MIT have developed a new ultrathin material that’s as light as plastic but stronger than steel. The durable material could be used in vehicles or electronics, and makes use of a manufacturing technique that was previously thought impossibl… Continue reading “Impossible” 2D material is light as plastic and stronger than steel
[Thane Hunt] needed to find a way to make a variety of different heat-seal patterns on a fluid heat exchanger made from polyolefin film, and didn’t want all the lead …read more Continue reading The Wanhao Duplicator CNC Heat Sealer
Obesity rates around the world are on the rise, almost tripling since 1975. While the contribution of things like sugar is well-established, the trend is a complex one involving all manner of lifestyle factors. Scientists at the Norwegian University of… Continue reading Chemicals in plastics may be a driver of weight gain, study finds
By carefully tinkering with the chemical structure of a common household plastic, scientists have managed to upcycle it into a reusable adhesive with unique and hugely promising properties. A small patch of the substance can be used to hold around 300 … Continue reading Upcycled adhesive is one of the toughest materials ever reported
The search for sustainable alternatives to common plastics has researchers investigating how their building blocks can be sourced from places other than petroleum, and for scientists behind a promising new study, this has led them straight to the sweet… Continue reading Eco-friendly plastics made from sugars boast “unprecedented” properties
Five years ago, scientists digging through soil and sludge around a plastics recycling center in Japan discovered a bacterium that was feeding on the popular packaging material PET as an energy source, with help from a pair of purposely evolved enzymes… Continue reading Microbes across the land and ocean are evolving to degrade plastic
Studies continue to illuminate the extent of our plastic waste problem, and more recently, have started to uncover what it might all mean for human health. The latest discovery in this area reveals a new mechanism through which an ingredient in common … Continue reading Mouse study links plastic waste to high cholesterol and heart disease
Not only are most thermosetting resins made from non-renewable ingredients, but they’re also difficult to recycle. Swedish scientists have set about addressing those problems, by developing a new lignin-based, thermoset-like material that can be reused… Continue reading Wood waste used in renewable, recyclable thermoset plastic alternative
Much of the millions of metric tons of plastic waste that washes into the sea each year is broken down into tiny fragments by the forces of the ocean, and researchers are beginning to piece together what this means for organisms that consume them. Scie… Continue reading Mouse study shows microplastics infiltrate blood brain barrier
Glitter spruces up everything from makeup to craft projects, but one thing it doesn’t improve is the environment. Researchers at Cambridge University have now developed a biodegradable glitter that swaps out the plastic and aluminum for plant-based cel… Continue reading Plant-based biodegradable glitter sparkles without the microplastics