Plastics are synthetic or semi-synthetic materials made from polymers, which are long chains of molecules typically derived from petroleum, natural gas, or other organic sources. Plastics are ...

In contrast to common perceptions, plastic is in no way near one material. Rather, it is a combination of many materials (polymers) with different chemical compounds and additives such as pigments or ...

In a multi-year project, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed plasmonic plastic—a type of composite material with unique optical properties that can be 3D-printed.

Hundreds of millions of tons of single-use plastic end up in landfills every year, and even the small percentage of plastic that gets recycled can’t last forever. But our group of materials scientists ...

Demand for biodegradable polymers has been rising as a result of environmental concerns regarding the use of nonrenewable materials. Styrofoam and other plastics are among the most produced materials ...

As the environmental costs of petroleum-based plastics mount, researchers are exploring renewable and biodegradable alternatives that are less harmful to ecosystems. One such alternative gaining ...

Starting with billions of molecules of monomer in a reactor, heat and pressure are applied in the presence of catalysts, causing one of the monomer double bonds to rearrange into two "half-bonds," one ...