The way we make these plastics is fairly basic when compared to how other types of plastics are made– we just mixed acetone and a bit of an environment-friendly driver into store-bought superglue. As soon as this mix dries, it produces a strong, glassy plastic made up of long polymer chains.
While brief polymers benefit glue, long polymers have more binding areas and result in stronger materials. Our group understood that if we could create longer versions of the exact same kind of polymers made from superglue, we may be able to produce a strong plastic.
To make a plastic from superglue, we first needed to resolve the very issue that makes superglue so “super”– it stays with almost whatever. It is actually responding with wetness in the air or on the surface of whatever is being glued together when superglue is used to stick something together. This response forms molecular chains of repeating superglue units called polymers. The polymers made when gluing something together are brief and do not bind to each other well, which makes the glue brittle and easy to break.
Our team utilized superglue as a starting product to establish a low-cost, recyclable and easily produced transparent plastic called polyethyl cyanoacrylate that has residential or commercial properties similar to those of plastics utilized for single-use items like flatware, cups and product packaging. Unlike a lot of conventional plastics, this brand-new plastic can be quickly transformed back to its beginning products, even when integrated with unwashed municipal plastic waste.
In our laboratory, we can easily produce as much as 10 pounds of this material in a matter of days and turn it into functional products. By pouring the mix into molds before it dries, we can make plastic things in lots of shapes, like bowls and cutlery. We also found that heating up the plastic after it dries not only permitted us to form the material into other items, however also enhanced the plastic.
Researchers discovered a way to turn superglue into strong, clear plastic that can be made into many shapes. Allison Christy, CC BY-ND
Why it matters
To make a plastic from superglue, we initially had to deal with the very concern that makes superglue so “very”– it sticks to just about whatever. By putting the mixture into molds before it dries, we can make plastic things in lots of shapes, like bowls and flatware. We likewise discovered that heating up the plastic after it dries not only enabled us to shape the product into other products, but also reinforced the plastic.
Finding a replacement for polystyrene is a huge step towards sustainable plastics, but polystyrene is only one of thousands of plastics utilized today. Our group is now designing superglue-based plastics with residential or commercial properties that resemble other sort of product plastics, while still being simple to produce and recycle.
Whats next?
When our material is heated to 410 degrees Fahrenheit (210 C), the long particle chains made of repeating superglue systems break apart into their little, specific superglue particles. At this point, the superglue particles turn into a vapor that is easy to separate out from a mixed waste stream of other plastics, paper, food residue, aluminum and other refuse frequently found in recycling waste streams. You can cool it and turn it right back into our brand-new plastic with over 90% effectiveness when you collect the superglue vapor.
Because our superglue plastic has residential or commercial properties comparable to polystyrene– it is light, long lasting, cheap and easy to mass-produce– it could replace polystyrene in many items. There are two distinct advantages of our superglue-based product: It isnt made from oil and is simple to recycle.
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The brand-new plastic is made by elongating the molecular chains that make up superglue. Allison Christy, CC BY-ND
At this point, the superglue molecules turn into a vapor that is simple to separate out from a blended waste stream of other plastics, paper, food residue, aluminum and other refuse commonly discovered in recycling waste streams. When you collect the superglue vapor, you can cool it and turn it right back into our new plastic with over 90% effectiveness.
Because superglue is inexpensive and already produced on an industrial scale, we envision our technique of developing superglue plastics need to be simple to scale up. The equipment used to make superglue could likewise be utilized to recycle the superglue plastics and could be merely adapted into existing industrial procedures.
When makers need to produce a stiff plastic item– like cutlery, disposable razors, CD cases or plastic designs– they often rely on polystyrene. Polystyrene is among the most commonly produced and least recycled types of plastic.
