Scientists have invented a polymer that can survive endless recycling
A group of researchers led by Eugene Chen from Colorado State University (USA) synthesized a polymer with many properties characteristic of plastics, for example, light weight, heat resistance, strength and durability, however, unlike typical plastics, it can be converted back to its original condition for complete chemical recycling. This can be achieved without the use of toxic chemicals or intensive laboratory reactions.
Polymerization and depolymerization operations can be carried out either by thermolysis at temperatures above 300 degrees Celsius, or at more moderate temperatures (about 120 degrees Celsius) in the presence of zinc chloride ZnCl2.
The monomers formed during depolymerization do not differ in their properties from the initial state, and they can be used again to obtain the desired polymeric material.
Similar plastics have already been synthesized before, but all of them were inferior to modern plastics in terms of their mechanical properties and thermal stability. The material proposed in this work allows multiple cycles of polymerization and depolymerization, and has the properties required for plastic materials.
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