Recyclable plastics made from sugar are available

According to the Physicists Organization Network reported on the 17th, researchers from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom and Duke University in the United States used sugar-based raw materials instead of petrochemical derivatives to develop two new polymers, which have all the characteristics of ordinary plastics, but are degradable and physically recyclable. One of the polymers is stretchable like rubber; the other is as strong and tough as most plastics.

In the latest study, scientists used isoiode and isomannitol as the base material to create these new polymers. Both compounds, isoiode and isomannitol, are made from sugar alcohols with a hard ring of atoms. The researchers found that the hardness and ductility of the newly developed isoiode-based polymers are similar to those of ordinary plastics, and the strength is similar to that of high-performance engineering plastics such as nylon-6. It is worth noting that these new polymer materials still have excellent mechanical properties after crushing and heat treatment, and crushing and heat treatment are common methods for physically recovering plastics. (Science and Technology Daily, Gamma)

Source: Daily Economic News