Materials – Page 3
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FeatureClearing up the compostable plastic mess
Rather than a potential triumph, the compostable plastics we use look increasingly like a tragedy. Andy Extance looks at the problems and seeks solutions
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ResearchNanoscale peaks and valleys create long-lasting frost-resistant surfaces
Treatment could protect energy infrastructure and heat exchangers
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NewsNew polymers to be tested in extreme conditions aboard the International Space Station
The materials might one day make it into spacecraft components
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FeatureBattery-free bioelectronic implants
Spurred by advances in energy-harvesting materials, a new generation of advanced implantable biomedical devices is emerging that does away with the bulky battery. James Mitchell Crow reports
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ResearchHow ‘magic mud’ gives baseball pitchers a better grip
Unique mud formula coats and roughens baseballs, boosting control and grip for pitchers
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ResearchNew database highlights gaps in plastic monitoring efforts
Certain types of plastic products are rarely studied in detail, while many monitoring campaigns focus on a small number of well-known hazardous chemicals
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ResearchFoaming bioplastic breaks down in seawater four times faster than paper
Highly porous cellulose diacetate polymer could be a packaging alternative
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ResearchDirecting group facilitates catalytic breakdown of high-performance polymer
Polymer maintains strength during regular use but selectively breaks down when exposed to a nickel catalyst
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BusinessAdnoc to buy Covestro, continuing expansion into polymers
€15 billion deal sees Gulf oil producer looking to future growth beyond fuels
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ResearchSunlight-powered device harvests lithium from salty water
Low-energy device is a ‘step forward’ for sustainable lithium mining
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ResearchAlloys made direct from metal oxides offer more sustainable route to advanced materials
New approach to metallurgy is less energy intensive with a smaller carbon footprint
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ResearchChloride ions tunnel free from PVC
Computational clues uncover quantum escape route from common plastic
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BusinessCalifornia sues ExxonMobil over misleading plastic recycling claims
Suit claims firm used false claims to justify producing vast amounts of single-use plastics
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ResearchElectrochemical series for materials makes predicting oxidation states easy
Machine-learning trained model could open up new opportunities in materials discovery
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ResearchWater-splitting reaction reversal could extract lithium more sustainably and cheaply
Environmentally-friendly electrochemistry could cut extraction costs by 40%
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RSCIndustry and academic leaders unite to drive polymer sustainability
Leading industry figures and academics talk about the challenges faced in the transition to sustainable PLFs
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ResearchSupramolecular crystals show promise for hydrogen storage
Porous catenated network is light weight and stores high volumes of hydrogen
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ResearchSuper-fast setting sticky polymers can suture tricky internal wounds
Chemical wizardry allowed unstable polymer produced from bio-based precursor to be stabilised
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ResearchScratch-resistant metal oxide films made with simple printing technique
The easy-to-make ultrathin materials are flexible, transparent and ideally suited for use in smartphone screens
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ResearchReversible 3D images displayed in light-activated material
Images are printed, erased and animated in polymer-based handheld device