With a pioneering, comprehensive approach on a global scale, Brazilian researchers have developed a methodology that allows them to project the physiological responses of herds of different production animal species to the ...
Plants & Animals
8 hours ago
0
0
Soy proteins are used in plant-based natural polymers meant to eventually supplant plastic materials. But to compete with the petrochemical-based products, such polymers need to be stronger and less brittle.
Polymers
9 hours ago
0
0
Microplastics and nanoplastics in soils are a growing environmental problem. The extent to which agricultural crops absorb these particles and whether they end up in food has so far been difficult to prove. This is because ...
Cell & Microbiology
11 hours ago
0
0
The plastics industry is in flux, as there is an increasing push to replace petroleum-based materials with sustainable alternatives. But sustainability alone is not enough. Bio-based plastics need to be capable of more.
Biochemistry
12 hours ago
0
0
Plastic may well be a useful everyday item, but its careless disposal in oceans and inland waterways is a pressing global problem. Plastic pollution poses a significant threat to human health and the health of our planet. ...
On the edge of California's Monterey Bay, ecologist Matthew Savoca and a team of volunteers sift through sand and seawater for microplastics, one of the planet's most pervasive forms of pollution.
Earth Sciences
Sep 30, 2025
1
0
The accumulation and poor management of plastic fibers and particles remains a pressing global issue, with serious consequences for both human health and environmental sustainability.
Environment
Sep 29, 2025
2
16
Plastic pellets, bio-beads and other microplastics are polluting coastlines around the world, with new research showing sharp regional differences in the types and concentrations of plastic found.
Environment
Sep 29, 2025
1
10
Microplastics are a growing problem worldwide. They disrupt ecosystems and contribute to adverse effects, like metabolic disorders, neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and developmental toxicity in the bodies of various organisms ...
Everyday items like car tires, plastic bags and foam cushions come from materials called polymers that can take years to develop and test. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of North Carolina at ...
Polymers
Sep 24, 2025
0
88
Plastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic organic amorphous solid materials suitable for the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular weight, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce costs.
The word derives from the Greek πλαστικός (plastikos) meaning fit for molding, and πλαστός (plastos) meaning molded. It refers to their malleability, or plasticity during manufacture, that allows them to be cast, pressed, or extruded into an enormous variety of shapes—such as films, fibers, plates, tubes, bottles, boxes, and much more.
The common word plastic should not be confused with the technical adjective plastic, which is applied to any material which undergoes a permanent change of shape (plastic deformation) when strained beyond a certain point. Aluminum, for instance, is plastic in this sense, but not a plastic in the common sense; while some plastics, in their finished forms, will break before deforming and therefore are not plastic in the technical sense.
There are two types of plastics: thermoplastics and thermosets. Thermoplastics, if exposed to enough heat, will melt. Thermosets will keep their shape until they are charred and burnt. Some examples of thermoplastics are grocery bags, piano keys and some automobile parts. Examples of thermosets are children's dinner sets and circuit boards.
This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA
