Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by Fnord666 on Friday May 24 2019, @05:09AM   Printer-friendly
from the wash-your-troubles-down-the-drain dept.

Submitted via IRC for AndyTheAbsurd

Washington State University researchers have developed an environmentally-friendly, plant-based material that for the first time works better than Styrofoam for insulation.

The foam is mostly made from nanocrystals of cellulose, the most abundant plant material on earth. The researchers also developed an environmentally friendly and simple manufacturing process to make the foam, using water as a solvent instead of other harmful solvents.

The work, led by Amir Ameli, assistant professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, and Xiao Zhang, associate professor in the Gene and Linda School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, is published in the journal Carbohydrate Polymers.

[...]The material that they created contains a uniform cellular structure that means it is a good insulator. For the first time, the researchers report, the plant-based material surpassed the insulation capabilities of Styrofoam. It is also very lightweight and can support up to 200 times its weight without changing shape. It degrades well, and burning it doesn’t produce polluting ash.

Source: https://news.wsu.edu/2019/05/09/researchers-develop-viable-environmentally-friendly-alternative-styrofoam/


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 2) by krishnoid on Friday May 24 2019, @08:06AM

    by krishnoid (1156) on Friday May 24 2019, @08:06AM (#846975)

    Doesn't have to be particularly tasty for rodents [etymonline.com] to want/need to gnaw on them.

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2