Researchers at the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory have compiled a comprehensive database of polymer properties, revealing discrepancies between actual and reported characteristics.
Hugh Ryan reports for Chemistry World.
In short:
- The database includes chemical and physical properties of 59 commercially available polymers, representing about 95% of polymers produced in 2018.
- Many polymers exhibited properties differing from manufacturers' specifications, with unexpected thermal properties and unknown additives discovered.
- The project aims to provide a reliable resource for plastic recycling studies and to raise awareness of how impurities and additives influence polymer chemistry.
Key quote:
“This work is going to open a lot of people’s eyes to thinking more about how impurities and additives might influence their chemistry.”
— Anne McNeil, expert in polymer sustainability from the University of Michigan
Why this matters:
Most of the plastic waste we encounter, from water bottles to grocery bags, is made up of complex polymer structures that can be challenging to break down and repurpose. Traditional recycling methods often fall short because they don't fully account for the nuanced behavior of different polymers under various conditions.
