Polymers – Page 18
-
Research
Mineral hydrogel points to new recyclable plastics
Calcium carbonate hydrogel can be moulded, hardened and recycled – just add water
-
Research
Shape-shifting hydrogel can heal itself
New material returns to its original shape even when cut into pieces
-
Research
Honeycomb spheres trap harmful iodine gas
Specially designed polymers could help clean up radioactive iodine
-
Research
Old CDs recycled into valuable plastic
One pot technique can turn polycarbonates into polymer used in specialist engineering and medical roles
-
Research
Origami tubes curl up with water
Nanostructured material folding mimics touch-sensitive plant and technology might find its way into artificial muscles
-
Research
Light and heat flip compound between phases
UV light and heat induce reversible switch between ionic liquid and coordination polymer
-
Opinion
Plastic not so fantastic
The world has a big problem with small plastics and the time to act is now
-
News
UK open to microbead ban if EU fails to act
Government may act unilaterally amid growing evidence of environmental problems
-
Opinion
Towards a new plastics economy
Global change is needed to avert disaster, says the Ellen MacArthur Foundation
-
Feature
Plastic problems
Tiny pieces of plastic may be doing as much harm in our oceans and waterways as the big stuff, finds Nina Notman
-
Research
Colour-changing polymer adapts camouflage to vegetation and desert
Fabric flips from green to brown when a voltage is applied
-
Research
Polymer repairs itself at body temperature
New material could enable self-healing wound dressings
-
Research
Mouldable thermosets get a makeover
Dynamic epoxy resin gives rise to reusable thermoset fibre-reinforced polymer composites
-
Research
Squid beak insight shifts chitosan composites up the pecking order
Lightweight organic composite with tuneable mechanical properties mimics cephalopod beak
-
Research
Best icephobic coating ever created gives ice the slip
Polymer material could protect planes and wind turbines from potentially catastrophic build-ups of ice
-
Research
Penguin feathers’ ice-resistant design revealed
Polymer surface based on feathers might one day lead to coating to protect ship and planes from deadly build-ups of ice
-
Research
Polymer worms hold stem cells in suspended animation
A new hydrogel mimics natural mucins to delay the development of human stem cells and embryos
-
Research
Molecular threads woven into flexible fabric
New covalent organic framework contains interlacing polymer chains that can slide past one another
-
Research
Boron nitride nanotube composites outperform their carbon cousins
Binding strengths of polymer–boron nitride nanotubes are higher than those reported for carbon nanotubes
-
Research
New shape memory polymer with a permanent twist
Material can flip between shapes but its resting shape can be remodelled without wiping the memory of other shapes