The Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) developed a bio-polycarbonate which has been monopolized by Japan, and opened up the possibility of bio-polycarbonate commercialization. Bio-polycarbonate is an eco-friendly bio-plastic that can replace conventional polycarbonate, which contains the environmental hormone causing substance, bisphenol A(BPA). Until now, Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. of Japan is the only one who has successfully commercialized producing bio-polycarbonate. Dr. Jeyoung Park, Dr. … Continue reading KRICT to become a new leading player in the monopolized bio-polycarbonate market

Electricity harvested from the sun or wind can be used interchangeably with power from coal or petroleum sources. Or sustainably produced electricity can be turned into something physical and useful. Researchers in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis have figured out how to feed electricity to microbes to grow truly green, biodegradable plastic, as reported in the Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology. … Continue reading Sustainable, carbon-neutral and low-cost bioplastics from electricity-eating microbes

Honey bees spend hours each day collecting pollen and packing it into tidy bundles attached to their hind legs. But all of that hard work could instantly be undone during a sudden rainstorm were it not for two substances the insect uses to keep the pollen firmly stuck in place: bee spit and flower oil. Now researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology are looking at … Continue reading Bee Spit and Flower Oil based Bioinspired Adhesive

At ICE 2019, the Fraunhofer Institutes for Applied Polymer Research IAP, for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB and for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP will present innovative technologies for sustainable food packaging. They each have extensive expertise in processing, process development and control, the development of special polymer films and the deposition of ultra-thin layers for the packaging industry. Credit: the Fraunhofer … Continue reading Safer Food – Less Waste: the development of special polymer films and the deposition of ultra-thin layers for the packaging industry

S-PPV polymers in bright colors Credit: TU Wien Organic polymers can nowadays be found in solar cells, sensors, LEDs and in many other technical applications. One specific type of polymers – known as S-PPVs – were previously regarded as promising in theory but were almost impossible to produce from a technical perspective. After many years of work, a team from TU Wien has now managed … Continue reading Viennese Scientists develop promising new type of polymers

A new Tel Aviv University study describes a process to make bioplastic polymers that don’t require land or fresh water — resources that are scarce in much of the world. The polymer is derived from microorganisms that feed on seaweed. It is biodegradable, produces zero toxic waste and recycles into organic waste. The invention was the fruit of a multidisciplinary collaboration between Dr. Alexander Golberg of TAU’s Porter School of … Continue reading The new sustainable biopolymer technology developed by TAU researchers: made from microorganisms and spawned in seawater

Rutgers scientists have developed catalysts that can convert carbon dioxide – the main cause of global warming – into plastics, fabrics, resins and other products. This image shows how carbon dioxide can be electrochemically converted into valuable polymer and drug precursors. Credit: Karin Calvinho/Rutgers University-New Brunswick The electrocatalysts are the first materials, aside from enzymes, that can turn carbon dioxide and water into carbon building … Continue reading How to Convert Climate-Changing Carbon Dioxide into Plastics and Other Products

Adhesives to join components are indispensable in industry, but reliable joining is no longer sufficient. The recycling economy pushed by the EU requires proper disassembly of high-tech products, such as mobiles, into their basic materials during repairs or recycling. A thermolabile and reversible adhesive developed by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) now helps to do so. This invention can be used for a wide range … Continue reading New adhesive for better recycling

Purdue University researchers have developed a unique, toxin-free adhesive system developed from underwater creatures. They hope it will make plywood, cardboard boxes and other packaging – combined $100 billion industries – both safer and easier to use. “We want to be able to reduce the daily exposure we all have to common toxins, and this type of materials development could lead to a giant leap in … Continue reading Adhesive system inspired by underwater creatures: safer, sustainable solution for $100 billion industries