Scientists said recently they had successfully used nanotechnology to develop a way to turn plant matter into the building blocks of plastics.
Researchers said the process effectively offers an alternative to oil-based production and could be employed across a wide array of industries. The team of scientists from Utrecht University and Dow Chemical Co. affirmed they were able to produce both ethylene and propylene using an icon catalyst they developed made of nanoparticles.
The team said the breakthrough was significant, as scientists had previously only been capable of creating bioplastics that have limited uses and are not exact substitutes for their oil-based counterparts. With the new work, the team of researchers said they could potentially create myriad products, including CDs and carpets, without having to use the conventional oil-based approach.
Moreover, they noted that by replacing the oil-based approach with the new method, companies could potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the efficiency of the manufacturing and production processes.
Nanotechnology has become increasingly important in scientific research over the past few years, though officials raised questions recently about its safety.
Fonte: Knovel
