Researchers have incorporated a compound derived from β-carotene into a polymer that’s fully degradable

23-Feb-2023

Carrots come in a rainbow of bright colors — red, orange, yellow and purplish black — because of compounds called carotenoids. They help support eye health by reacting with potentially harmful UV light. Interestingly, the molecular structures of carotenoids, such as β-carotene, are similar to the ...

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No transfer of compounds from the bottle material into the oil detected

22-Feb-2023

Bottles made of bioplastic protect cooking oil from oxidative spoilage (rancidity) to a similar extent as PET bottles. In addition, even less taste- and odor-impairing substances were formed. This is the result of a recent study published in the journal "Food Packaging and Shelf Life" by ...

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First production of cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) pipes based on feedstock from chemically recycled PEX waste

17-Feb-2023

Neste, Borealis, Uponor and Wastewise have successfully produced pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) which was based on feedstock gained from chemically recycled post-industrial waste plastic from PEX pipe production, using an ISCC PLUS certified mass-balancing approach. The partner ...

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14-Feb-2023

LyondellBasell and KIRKBI A/S, the family-owned holding and investment company of the LEGO® brand, announce they have signed an agreement to make an investment in APK, which specializes in a unique solvent-based recycling technology for low density polyethylene (LDPE). APK aims to increase the ...

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Breakthrough in polyurethane and polyvinyl alcohol recycling

13-Feb-2023

The plastic materials polyurethane and polyvinyl alcohol can now be degraded under mild conditions with the help of enzymes as biocatalysts. Scientists from the University of Greifswald have developed corresponding methods together with the German company Covestro and teams from Leipzig and ...

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Implementation of a newly discovered metabolic pathway increases the CO2 efficiency of PET-utilizing bacteria

13-Feb-2023

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute in Marburg have developed a more efficient, carbon dioxide-conserving route to upcycle ethylene glycol, a constituent of the plastic PET. They enhanced the metabolism of the bacterium Pseudomonas putida with a novel route taken from marine microbes, ...

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Plant-derived biosolvents enable the sustainable conversion of plastic waste into valuable membrane materials

10-Feb-2023

Plastic waste can be used as a raw material for making high performance porous membranes. These could then be used in the chemical industry for the energy-efficient separation of complex chemical mixtures or to clean up waste streams, furtheradding to the environmental appeal of the ...

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Polymers with a metal backbone

08-Feb-2023

Until now, it has been clear: you can have a metal or a plastic, but not both in one. However, things don’t have to stay that way. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, a Chinese research team has now reported a polymer with a metallic backbone that is conductive, thermally stable, and has ...

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Clariter and TotalEnergies Fluids announce a world premiere

02-Feb-2023

Clariter, a global cleantech company, and TotalEnergies Fluids, a division of TotalEnergies, have premiered the world’s first sustainable ultra-pure solvent made from plastic waste. Ultra-pure solvents are used in pharmaceutical, cosmetics and other highly demanding markets that require safe, ...

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It sounds like science fiction: Robots for artificial pollination - can it work?

02-Feb-2023

The development of stimuli-responsive polymers has brought about a wealth of material-related opportunities for next-generation small-scale, wirelessly controlled soft-bodied robots. For some time now, engineers have known how to use these materials to make small robots that can walk, swim and ...

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