
Plastic bags are a bane of nature.
And not just bags – just about all plastics, really. Most are made out of petroleum, and a piece of plastic, if it misses the recycling bin and ends up in a landfill, will probably outlast human civilization.
But Chuanbing Tang at the University of South Carolina is developing new plastics that are “green” from the cradle to the grave. Given that the new polymers he’s working on often come from pine trees, firs and other conifers, he’s giving the word “evergreen” added resonance.
Rather than tapping a barrel of oil to obtain starting materials, Tang’s research group instead begins with the natural resins found in trees, especially evergreens. The rosin and turpentine derived from their wood is rich in hydrocarbons, similar but not identical to some components of petroleum.
Hydrocarbon-rich starting materials, whether from petroleum or tree resin, can be converted into various forms of what are commonly termed “plastics” through polymerization. With petroleum derivatives, scientists have invested more than a hundred years of research into refining the polymer chemistry involved, and their success in that endeavor is evident in the range of plastics now part of common parlance, such as Plexiglas, polycarbonate and PVC.
But processes for developing plastics from renewable sources, such as rosin and turpentine, are not nearly as developed. “Renewable polymers currently suffer from inferior performance in comparison to those derived from petroleum,” Tang said.
His laboratory is a national leader in helping change that situation. Tang just received a National Science Foundation CAREER award to further develop the polymer chemistry he has been refining since he arrived as a chemistry professor in USC’s College of Arts and Sciences in 2009. The award from NSF’s Division of Materials Research will support Tang’s laboratory through 2018.
“The aim is to understand how the macromolecular compositions and architectures dictate the properties of the materials we make,” Tang said. “If we can establish clear structure-property relationships, we will be able to achieve the kinds of results we now get from polymers made from petroleum.”
According to Tang, molecules derived from wood products are particularly worthwhile targets. “They’re a rich source of the cycloaliphatic and aromatic structures that make good materials after polymerization,” he said. “They have the rigid molecular structures and hydrophobicity that materials scientists know work well.”
They also have an advantage at the end of their life cycle.
The Latest Bing News on:
Ever-Green Plastics
- Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate Global Market Report 2023on March 29, 2023 at 11:23 am
utm_source=GNW Ltd., PolyQuest Inc., Evergreen Plastics, Phoenix Technologies Ltd., M&G Chemicals S.A, LIBOLON, Clear Path Recycling LLC, BariQ, M&G Chemicals S.A., and OCTAL. The global recycled ...
- PET Bottle Recycling Market New Ready Report Analysis 2028on March 28, 2023 at 9:43 pm
Top “ PET Bottle Recycling Market ” Size 2023 Key players Profiled in the Report are [Worldwide Recycler Services (U.S.), Kuusakoski Oy (Finland), UltrePET LLC (U.S.), PlasticsEurope (Belgium), ...
- Recycling Plastic Into Filamenton March 27, 2023 at 5:00 pm
Plastic is a remarkable material in many ways. Cheap, durable, and versatile, it is responsible for a large percentage of the modern world we live in. As we all know, though, it’s not without ...
- Plastics: PETGon March 27, 2023 at 5:00 pm
You’d be hard-pressed to walk down nearly any aisle of a modern food store without coming across something made of plastic. From jars of peanut butter to bottles of soda, along with the trays ...
- Growth Analysis & Survey of Food Grade Recyled Plastics Market Size 2023-2026 | Absolute Reportson March 27, 2023 at 4:21 am
Mar 27, 2023 (The Expresswire) -- "Final Report will add the analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on this industry." Global "Food Grade Recyled ...
- A primer on six methods for forming plasticson March 26, 2023 at 5:00 pm
Globally, nearly 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year. Plastics are part of every facet of our daily lives because they are highly versatile and have varying characteristics based on ...
- Recycled PET producer Evergreen joins Cyclyx consortiumon March 23, 2023 at 7:01 am
Cyclyx Vice President of Member Engagement Ron Sherga says, “Cyclyx and Evergreen share a mutual goal of diverting postuse plastics away from landfills and into recycling streams, which makes them a ...
- Berry increases recycled plastics useon March 23, 2023 at 3:41 am
Recycled plastic use went up for Berry Global Group Inc. in 2022 and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) went down, according to a new report from the company. The Evansville, Ind.-based plastics ...
- The Best Soft Plastic Baits for Bass of 2023on March 22, 2023 at 6:49 am
Soft plastic lures are mainstays for catching bass 12 months out of the year, and the angler who doesn’t have a good selection of the best producers in proven colors—and an ample supply of the hot one ...
- Human and ocean health impacts of ocean plasticson March 20, 2023 at 5:00 pm
July 1, 2021 — In a new issue of Science, devoted to the plastics problem, call for new approaches to plastics design, production and use, with the goal of keeping plastics out of landfills and ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Ever-Green Plastics
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Ever-Green Plastics” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
[/vc_column_text]
The Latest Bing News on:
Plastic alternative
- Why plastic packaging is more sustainable than many thinkon March 28, 2023 at 3:00 am
As a responsible packaging supplier, Plastic Ingenuity shares in the ambition to be more sustainable and increase the circularity of its products. This is at the core of its mission. No material is ...
- This all-new alternative to plastic wrap is made from thrown-out potatoes — and it can even help you with your gardenon March 28, 2023 at 2:30 am
It can break down entirely alongside other compostable waste — like food scraps, old plants, or fallen leaves. This all-new alternative to plastic wrap is made from thrown-out potatoes — and it can ...
- How researchers turned superglue into a cheap plastic alternativeon March 28, 2023 at 2:00 am
To make a plastic from superglue, we first had to address the very issue that makes superglue so “super”—it sticks to just about everything. When superglue is used to stick something together, it is ...
- Bio-based plastic won’t solve the plastic problemon March 27, 2023 at 11:59 pm
The Biden administration wants to replace 90% of plastic with bioplastic, but there are a lot of issues with that goal.
- Snack Companies Try Alternative Packaging to Ditch Plasticon March 27, 2023 at 5:01 am
Florencio Cuétara is the kind of person who crosses the street to tell people to pick up their litter. One day, Cuétara, an avid diver, was swimming in the Mediterranean when he came across a plastic ...
- 5 Cat Cone Alternatives That Help Keep Your Pet Comfy While Healingon March 26, 2023 at 12:00 pm
To help reduce stress, cat cone alternatives have comfortable features like soft fabric, padding, or flexible construction.
- Plant or plastic? How to decode vegan leather alternativeson March 24, 2023 at 5:18 am
Although these alternative leathers – whether they are plastic or plant-based or both – are marketed as a sustainable alternative to real leather, the jury is still out on their long-term impacts.
- Researchers turn Superglue into a recyclable, cheap, oil-free plastic alternativeon March 23, 2023 at 9:29 am
To make a plastic from Superglue, we first had to address the very issue that makes Superglue so "super"—it sticks to just about everything. When Superglue is used to stick something together ...
- Researchers turned superglue into a recyclable, cheap, oil-free plastic alternativeon March 22, 2023 at 12:06 pm
The big idea Our team used superglue as a starting material to develop a low-cost, recyclable and easily produced transparent plastic called polyethyl cyanoacrylate that has properties similar to ...
- Researchers turned superglue into a recyclable, cheap, oil-free plastic alternativeon March 22, 2023 at 11:58 am
The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Our team used superglue as a starting material to develop a low-cost, recyclable and easily produced transparent ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Plastic alternative
[google_news title=”” keyword=”plastic alternative” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]