earthstory: New Research in Green Plastics Uses Tree ResinNew research into renewable, green plastic
earthstory: New Research in Green Plastics Uses Tree ResinNew research into renewable, green plastics is using tree resin rather than petroleum. University of South Carolina researcher Chuanbing Tang has given evergreen a new meaning. The polymers come from evergreen trees such as pine and fir. These materials are loaded with hydrocarbons, which through the polymerization process can be turned into various types of plastics. Tang says that these wood products are useful because “they’re a rich source of the cycloaliphatic and aromatic structures that make good materials after polymerization, and they have the rigid molecular structures and hydrophobicity that materials scientists know work well.“Not only are these products ‘green’ from the beginning, they also end ‘green’. Since these polymers are derived from living materials, they are biodegradable. “With a polymer framework derived from renewable sources, we’re able to make materials that should break down more readily in the environment” says Tang.—AdamPhoto: Wildeherb.comFurther Reading:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220170631.htmhttp://www.newswise.com/articles/turning-pine-sap-into-ever-green-plastics -- source link
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