Mar

1

Material Combines Incompatible Plastics For Recycling

March 1, 2017 | Leave a Comment

Cornell University’s Geoffrey Coats has developed a multiblock polymer that, when added in small measure to a mix of polyethylene and polypropylene creates a new and mechanically tough polymer. Coates collaborated with a group from the University of Minnesota and together the team’s work is detailed in the paper “Combining Polyethylene and Polypropylene: Enhanced Performance […]

Jan

29

Turning Waste Plastic Bags Back Into Fuel

January 29, 2014 | 2 Comments

Researchers have developed a low-temperature process converting plastic waste into liquid fuel as a way to re-use discarded plastic bags and other products.  The most common waste we all see world wide is the common polymer, low-density polyethylene (LDPE), which is used to make many types of containers, medical and laboratory equipment, computer components and, […]

Oct

31

A New Idea For Recovering Rare Earth Elements

October 31, 2013 | Leave a Comment

Scientists are reporting development of a new method to recycle rare earth elements from wastewater.  Many of today’s technologies, from hybrid car batteries to flat-screen televisions, rely on rare earth elements (REEs) that are in short supply. The process is described in a study in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.  The new process […]

Apr

8

FOUND! The Bug That Makes Methane In Garbage

April 8, 2011 | 3 Comments

We’ve long known that garbage piled up and landfills weep and leak methane gas.  Its even harvested and being put to use in many places.  Researchers had a hard time figuring out why – because landfills do not start out as a friendly environment for the organisms that produce methane. Now new research from North […]

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