Recycling Plastic Will Never Be The Same After New Chemical Reaction
A new form of recyclable plastic could be just one innovation the discovery yields.
SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): A 'new chemical reaction' might not automatically sound like the subject of an attention-grabbing scientific headline. However, in this case, the discovery made by researchers from Australia's Flinders University is worth paying attention to. Summarizing their findings in a paper recently published in the academic journal Nature Chemistry, the team highlights several potential applications for a new sulfur–sulfur bond process. At least one of these applications could have significant implications for the future of recycling plastic.
Triggering a sulfur–sulfur bond has historically required exposing trisulfides to 'heat, light, or other stimuli.' This new method bypasses that step. The research team found that the process of 'trisulfide metathesis' could occur spontaneously by exposing trisulfides to particular solvents. According to a Flinders University press release, triggering the process via this method allows it to occur efficiently and easily. A new form of recyclable plastic could be just one innovation the discovery yields.
Professor Justin Chalker of Flinders University is a senior author of the study detailing the research team's discovery. He explains that it's 'rare to discover an entirely new reaction, and even more rare for it to be useful in so many fields and applications.' Those applications may include pharmaceutical development, advances in biotech science, and, again, plastic recycling.
Courtesy: www.bgr.com