Polymeric materials, including plastics and elastomers, can be made into biodegradable foam, renewable plastics, and even edible films. Shape memory polymers can change shape with temperature, electricity, or light. Ferroelectric polymers transfer heat when exposed to an electric field and could replace compressors in refrigeration. Recycling polymeric materials may not be cost-effective, but thermoplastic polymers can be recycled repeatedly while thermosetting polymers cannot.
The different types of polymeric materials include substances such as plastics and elastomers. Polymeric materials can be made into biodegradable foam, renewable plastics, and even edible films and coatings. There are also shape memory polymers (SMP) and ferroelectric polymers. Some polymeric materials have been developed for use in automotive fenders, clothing, and medical applications. Polymers show up in everyday items like milk jugs, tires, medical equipment, and edible coatings.
Memory or shape memory polymer materials are capable of being transformed from a rigid, hard plastic to an elastic polymer and back again, over and over again, without degradation of the material. When heat is applied and the polymer rises to a specific transition temperature, the material goes from hard to flexible and then back again as the polymer cools. Shape changes can also be induced by an electric current, a magnetic field, and even light. The best known type of SMP in use today is found in helmets and insulating foams which expand as temperatures get warmer, increasing the insulating efficiency of a window. Some SMPs are biodegradable and are under development for use as vascular stents, drug delivery systems, surgical sutures, and in tissue regeneration.
Ferroelectric polymers have the unique ability to transfer heat when exposed to an electric field. These polymeric materials have a disorganized molecular structure with randomly arranged molecules. When electricity is applied, this random structure organizes itself and the polymer gives off heat, making it colder. When the power is cut off, polymeric materials absorb heat. This new material could eliminate compressors, coils and toxic gases used in refrigerators and air conditioning units, and could also be used in protective clothing for firefighters, to warm children’s mittens and in circuit boards to cool the components.
Polymeric materials are produced from raw materials or post-consumer recycled content, although the process required to recover and recycle polymeric materials may not be as cost-effective as recycling glass and metal. All plastics are considered polymers, but not all polymers are considered plastics. Thermoplastic polymers can be heated and formed again and again, making them the perfect type of recyclable material. Thermosetting polymers, however, change their molecular structure when heated and cannot be reformed, making them very difficult to recycle and reuse.
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