In the field of science, a scientist's miscalculation, an accidental trip-over or even forgetfulness could surprisingly turn into significant breakthroughs, contrary to the feared disastrous outcomes. Such is in the case of a polymer used in airplane wings and mobile phones that after a slight miscalculation it came out into finer pieces of plastic that can actually be recycled.
Known as thermosets, these resins are formed at really high temperatures, and when they do get "cured" in heat, their chemical composition permanently changes, making them as strong as a bone, heat-resistant and light. There is one downside however. Although it is a great component that does not easily get damaged amid constant use, the material is becoming quite a challenge in terms of recycling. Its altered composition made it impossible to be recycled.
Until lately, when Jeannette Garcia of the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) missed a step in the middle of her experiments in coming up with stronger and more recyclable plastics, she was able to produce a polymer that is the same as the thermosets but only better. It turns out the newfound synthetic polymers can now be recycled.
It is natural for a scientist to find out answers to questions, so when Garcia was confronted with the substance that suddenly hardened inside its beaker, she sought help from the other experts at IBM. With the help of chemistry techniques and advanced computer models, Garcia and her colleagues eventually discovered the key to weaken the resistant thermoset: a surprisingly inexpensive substance known as sulfuric acid.
Temporarily, the researchers gave their discoveries, the first in several decades, the names "Titan" and "Hydro." As per IBM, the new thermosets are cheaper and more economical.
"Although there has been significant work in high-performance materials, today's engineered polymers still lack several fundamental attributes. New materials innovation is critical to addressing major global challenges, developing new products and emerging disruptive technologies," said James Hedrick, advanced organic materials scientist of IBM Research. "We're now able to predict how molecules will respond to chemical reactions and build new polymer structures with significant guidance from computation that facilitates accelerated materials discovery."
The accidental discovery of the two new polymers, which lately earned its rightful space in the journal Science, could soon be used for transportation and consumer products, as well as in the packaging of electronic components. Scientists have to conduct further studies on how to make it available for commercial use.
