That trait, which makes a coffee lid or a fishing float so useful, also turns plastic into a long-term guest in places it was never invited. Unrecovered fragments collect across ecosystems, and they ...

Pollution affects human health and the environment in many ways. Air, water, and land pollution continue to damage ecosystems, with conventional materials—especially plastics—being a primary ...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The manufacture and discard of traditional superabsorbent materials — typically made from synthetic polymers, primarily polyacrylate-based compounds — are affecting the planet.

Research in the areas of plastics, polymers, and biodegradable materials ranges from additive manufacturing to food packaging. This work focuses on the development and characterization of sustainable ...

After being used for military purposes during the Civil War, coal was first used to generate electricity for homes and factories in the 1880s. As a fossil fuel, coal played an important role in the ...

This diagram illustrates the circular economy potential of biodegradable plastics. It highlights a high-value loop where waste collection and chemical treatment allow for the re-synthesis of new ...

Researchers have developed an adhesive polymer that is stronger than current commercially available options while also being biodegradable, tunable, and reusable. The findings show how the common, ...

Biodegradable polymers are a type of polymer that exists both naturally and can be synthesized in laboratories. This special class of polymer is broken down naturally by microbial processes to produce ...

Pollution affects human health and the environment in many ways. Air, water, and land pollution continue to damage ecosystems, with conventional materials—especially plastics—being a primary ...