polymerguru

Caltech scientists have developed a new kind of polymer that can carry a chemical payload as part of its molecular structure and release it in response to mechanical stress. The chemical system they have developed could one day be used to create medical implants that can release drugs into the body when triggered by something like ultrasound waves, they say. Set of Polymer Chains Bonded to the Payload System The new material consists of a set of polymer chains bonded to the payload system, creating a mechanically sensitive unit called a mechanophore. A so-called cascade reaction ejects the payload from the polymer. In simple terms, force applied to the polymer causes weak bonds in the mechanophore to rupture, spitting out an unstable intermediate molecule that promptly breaks down to release the attached payload. Release of Coumarin Dye In their paper, the authors demonstrate the release of a coumarin dye, an organic molecule with useful properties, but they say the polymer

Using this fiber as a support layer could lighten advanced membranes used in greenhouse gas separation and hydrogen production and make them more compact, thereby enhancing performance. The company will keep pushing ahead with R&D for this new material to foster carbon recycling, collaborating with other entities in developing applications to sustainably tap hydrogen energy and shrink environmental footprints. Absorption- and adsorption-based facilities conventionally separate carbon dioxide, biogas, hydrogen, and other gases. The issue with such setups, however, is that they are large and consume a lot of energy, resulting in heavy carbon dioxide emissions. Gas separation methods employing membranes have thus attracted considerable attention. But despite ongoing research, no membranes have yet combined satisfactory gas separation performance and durability. Toray’s new material is chemically stable because it comprises carbon, and offers outstanding gas permea

The 5th Annual IEEE WIE Forum USA East Event will be held on November 21-23,2019 at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City in Arlington, VA , which will focus on developing and improving leadership skills and driving innovation for individuals at all stages of their careers. Attendees will have the opportunity to be educated, inspired, and empowered by presentations given by successful leaders, attend workshops, network with peers, learn ways to kickstart programs which excite and inspire the women engineers of the future. Registration Fee: 390 USD REGISTER @ https://lnkd.in/fHyCZri PATRONS SPONSORSHIP: An innovative selection of sponsorship packages have been put together for our 2019 program,ranging from Diamond $10K- Silver$1.5K level. CAREER FAIR (Nov 22) It is open to all technical career fields including (but not limited to) Aerospace Engg,Computer Engg ,Computer Science, Cyber Security, Data Scientists, Electrical Engg, Engg Management, Info Tech, Mechanical Engg,Manufacturing, and

MIT chemists have devised a way to synthesize polymers that can break down more readily in the body and in the environment. Ring-opening Metathesis Polymerization A chemical reaction called ring-opening metathesis polymerization, or ROMP, is handy for building novel polymers for various uses such as nanofabrication, high-performance resins, and delivering drugs or imaging agents. However, one downside to this synthesis method is that the resulting polymers do not naturally break down in natural environments, such as inside the body. Making Polymers More Degradable The MIT research team has come up with a way to make those polymers more degradable by adding a novel type of building block to the backbone of the polymer. This new building block, or monomer, forms chemical bonds that can be broken down by weak acids, bases, and ions such as fluoride. “ We believe that this is the first general way to produce ROMP polymers with facile degradability under biologically relevant

The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB is using a new, recently patented process to develop new polyamides from the terpene 3-carene, a residual material from the cellulose industry. The biobased polyamides Caramid-R® and Caramid-S® produced using this process represent a new class of polyamides with outstanding thermal properties. The production of the monomer for Caramid-S® was already successfully piloted in a 100-liter scale. The Fraunhofer researchers are presenting the new polyamides at the K trade fair (Hall 7.0, Stand SC01). From Wood Waste to High-performance Polymers The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB has developed a sustainable alternative to petrochemically produced plastics using terpenes found in resin-rich wood. The natural substances are available from conifers such as pine, larch or spruce. In the production of pulp, in which wood is broken down to separate the cellulose fibers, the terp

Coca-Cola has unveiled the first ever sample bottle made using recovered and recycled marine plastics, demonstrating that, one day, even ocean debris could be used in recycled packaging for food or drinks. This sample is the first ever plastic bottle made using marine litter that has been successfully recycled and reused in food and drink packaging. About 300 sample bottles have been produced using 25% recycled marine plastic, retrieved from the Mediterranean Sea and beaches. A small step for now, but the technology behind it has big potential. Revolutionary Enhanced Recycling Technologies The marine plastic bottle has been developed to show the transformational potential of revolutionary ‘enhanced recycling’ technologies, which can recycle previously used plastics of any quality back to the high-quality needed for food or drinks packaging. Enhanced recycling technologies use innovative processes that break down the components of plastic and strip out impurities in lo

Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion (MPI CEC) launched a joint sustainability project with Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia to produce sustainable chemical products from Vernonia galamensis. MPI Director Prof. Walter Leitner and his department at MPI CEC focuses on "green chemistry".  Their research is concerned with the manufacture of chemical products without using fossil resources. Green Collaboration Leitner, an honorary member of the Chemical Society of Ethiopia, initiated the collaboration together with Prof. Yonas Chebude, Head of the Faculty of Chemistry in Addis Ababa.  Prof. Chebude and his team are conducting intensive research in Ethiopia on the conversion of biomass into chemically usable products.  Vernonia galamensis – Raw material for Epoxidized Oil They are currently focused on the plant Vernonia galamensis - normally thought of as a "weed". The plant produces 40% epoxidized oil which is promising for industrial produ