‘We have taken a significant step’
Plastic is one of the largest pollutants in the world. However, a new scientific discovery can transform the industry and environmental footprint by capturing carbon dioxide from the air and using it to form a plastic.
Recently a team of Caltech researchers Published his findingsIt showed that carbon dioxide can be converted into compounds such as ethylene and carbon monoxide using renewable electricity.
Through other chemical reactions, these compounds can be converted to plastics known as polytethons. These industrial power plastics are resistant to adhesives, car parts, pipes and more.
Although the process needs significantly improvement and more tests before it was ready for widespread use, the first findings were excited that researchers could turn harmful gases into something useful.
“I think this is something we are interested in as a society,” He said in a version. “We have taken an important step in this direction with our new work.”
Right now, More than 430 million tons Plastic is produced every year, most of them are excreted after only one use.
Most of these wastes are divided into small particles called germs, which are seemingly all over our planet, from our oceans to food and water, to human brains.
However, it is not just plastic waste that causes environmental problems. The burning of fossil fuels required to form a plastic results in the release of tons of greenhouse gas to the environment. These are gases that capture heat in the atmosphere and cause our planet to heat up at record rates.
As plastic production increases, its environmental impact will increase. International Environmental Law Center, where Plastic’s greenhouse gas emissions can be overcome by 2050 56 billion tons.
This is not only exciting for this Caltech research, but potentially vital for the future of our planet. Many scientists have worked on ways to make plastic cleanser, but this can be the first method of ethylene from carbon dioxide instead of oil -based products.
“We can increase the amount of interest rates in this field by showing that it is possible, and perhaps people can improve this principle,” researcher Max Zhelyabovskiy said. He said.
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