When exposed to sunlight, Paul Kohl of the Georgia Institute of Technology and his colleagues created a type of plastic that self-destructed as a result of their research.
Plastics are made of polymeric materials. The small molecules that make up the lengthy polymer molecules that are chain-shaped have strong bonding between them. As a result, it is extremely difficult for plastic materials to deteriorate in their natural environment. In some circumstances, it can take years to complete. It is commonly necessary to heat plastics to extremely high temperatures in order to melt them and destroy them in order to achieve the desired results.
The researchers employed a polymer known as PPHA, which is an abbreviation for polypropylene, to make a plastic that is both resistant and biodegradable in nature. In contrast to other polymers, this substance dissolves on its own when exposed to temperatures below room temperature, which is the most significant characteristic of this substance. Therefore, the researchers looked for techniques to make an easily soluble polymer strong rather than strategies to make a strong polymer easily soluble, rather than vice versa.
When Kohl and his colleagues joined the ends of the chain-shaped molecules together, they were able to form the molecules into a circular shape, increasing the strength of the PPHA polymer. When compared to open-ended chains, circular molecules are far more difficult to break apart. However, once the circle is broken, the molecule as a whole can be simply destroyed without any difficulty.
They used a chemical that becomes acidic when exposed to heat in order to manage the conditions under which the plastic substance they created would disintegrate. They were successful.
In his assertion, Professor Dr. Kohl asserts that the chemical they developed has a shelf life of 20 years if not exposed to sunlight. When exposed to sunlight, the material dissolves in a matter of minutes to hours, depending on the makeup of the substance being disintegrated.
The material that has been produced is expected to be particularly useful in the military. Producing autonomous aerial vehicles that vanish after completing their mission, or gliders that move supplies from one site to another, for example, could be a viable option.
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