The mission of the NSF Center for Sustainable Polymers (CSP) is to transform how plastics are made, unmade, and remade through innovative research, engaging education, and diverse partnerships that together foster environmental stewardship.
A polymer nanocomposite is simply a composite in which we combine a polymer matrix (which could be thermosetting or thermoplastic) with some kind of nanomaterial. In keeping with conventional polymer composites, there may also be some other form of conventional fibre reinforcement (such as woven carbon fibre) included.
Computed Axial Lithography is the first printer of it's kind. It can shape objects, all-at-once, using specialized synthetic resin and rays of light.
In this episode, find out how scientists are developing more environmentally friendly plastics using plant materials. By 2020, these bioplastics could provide an alternative for about a fifth of the estimated 200 billion pounds of plastics manufactures produce each year worldwide.
Plastics are a vital part of our lives, but they also are rife with adverse environmental impacts. In "Can We Make Plastics Sustainable?", the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment and the Center for Sustainable Polymers explore how we can enjoy the benefits of plastics and keep our planet healthy, too.
The use of polymeric materials from renewable resources has a long history, with naturally occurring polymers being among the first materials used by men. In the 19th century, natural materials, such as casein, natural rubber, and cellulose, were modified to obtain useful polymeric materials.
The term ‘green polymer chemistry’ is being used here to describe the production of established thermoplastics and elastomers from renewable sources, including polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA), epoxy resin and polyurethane.