Plastic is bad. We’ve established that. Yet, it remains a huge part of our everyday lives simply because no alternative has become “mainstream” yet. Let’s hope, then, that the researchers at the University of Tokyo are on to something… They’ve recently discovered that the combination of clay, water and sodium polyacrylate (a natural “molecular glue”) creates a sort of “plastic” that is “strong, self-healing and transparent.”
According to the article published in Nature, the scientists state:
“Here we report that water and clay (2–3 per cent by mass), when mixed with a very small proportion (<0.4 per cent by mass) of organic components, quickly form a transparent hydrogel. This material can be moulded into shape-persistent, free-standing objects owing to its exceptionally great mechanical strength, and rapidly and completely self-heals when damaged.”
Although the science of it may seem muddy to us, the fact that scientists are seriously considering alternatives to plastic is a giant leap in the direction of our sustainable future.
[Via: Mother Jones/Nature]
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