Researchers from China have demonstrated a new type of plastic that decomposes in just a week under
The new material appeared by accident when the authorresearch Liang Luo of China Huazhong University of Science and Technology has been working on an improved type of chemical sensor. A materials scientist was developing a new polymer film that changed color depending on the pH level. This process was driven by the unique molecular structure of the material: chains of monomers give the film a dark red color and carry it away when these bonds are broken.
Through his team's experiments, Luo discoveredthat the dark red color of the film quickly disappeared, and the material itself decomposed after several days in sunlight. Breaking these bonds is precisely the common goal of plastics processing research.
Plastic is not suitable for bottle usefrom soda or shopping bags, as it quickly decomposes under exposure to sunlight and air and decomposes completely within a week. At the same time, without leaving behind fragments of microplastics that destroy the environment. Where the new plastic comes in handy is in flexible electronics or smartphones - there it will be isolated from air and light for its entire life.
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