TAGS: Sustainability and Bioplastics Creativity with Plastics
Elemental sulfur, a waste product of crude oil refining, represents a promising opportunity for the synthesis of degradable materials, i.e. the combination of elements to form new substances.
In a recent article published in the journal Angewandte Chemie, prof. Dr. Alex Plajer, junior professor of Macromolecular Chemistry, and his team show that incompatible building blocks can be combined for the utilization of sulfur waste.
Unlocking the Potential of Waste Sulfur
Developing a detailed understanding of new plastics and their functions while at the same time reusing sulfur waste is the idea behind the research of prof. Dr Alex Plajer and Cesare Gallizioli.
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Sulfur waste is produced in large quantities during oil refining," explains prof. Dr. Alex Plajer, junior professor of Macromolecular Chemistry at the University of Bayreuth. "
We have now reacted this sulfur in our research in such a way that new plastics are created." The new reaction method produces materials that consist of long chains.
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But there is also the possibility of simply linking these chains together. These not only remain degradable, but also have special properties, such as the fact that they refract light well. In our article, we show how, by precisely understanding the processes, you can combine different substances that don't normally go well together to utilize waste sulfur in a meaningful way. In short, how we can partner building blocks already commonly used in industry to create a new plastic that is easier to recycle."
The research was carried out jointly with Dr. Peter Deglmann, BASF SE, and prof. Dr. Helmut Schlaad, professor of Polymer Chemistry at the University of Potsdam. It was supported by the Chemical Industry Fund of the German Chemical Industry Association.
Source: University of Bayreuth
