Stanford spends $1.3 million to reinvent plastic

When preparing for a master’s degree application in the United States, the most important thing is to choose a program that interests you
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In recent years, the theme of environmental protection has swept the world, and the forefront of technology and scientific research is still in the United States
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Many schools also deliberately set up new academic departments or colleges to carry out related research projects
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If you are interested in environmental sustainability and energy research, be sure to pay attention to related programs at various universities
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Today we are going to introduce three new projects from Stanford University
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According to the school's official website, this year, the school allocated a budget of $1.
3 million to fund three new research projects led by the Precourt Energy Institute and the Woods Environmental Institute
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The three projects are mainly around plastics, with the hope of making and using plastics sustainably
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We all know that plastics are closely related to energy and the environment, but our understanding is still not comprehensive enough
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It is generally known that most plastics are not biodegradable, and unrecycled plastics will be used as waste and pollute the entire environment
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In fact, it is not only the recycling problem after use that causes pollution, the manufacturing process of plastic also consumes a lot of energy
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All the plastic products we use on a daily basis are primarily derived from crude oil
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But making plastic from oil uses more energy than making iron, steel, glass and paper
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In general, plastics emit large amounts of greenhouse gases when they are produced, recycled and incinerated
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This time, two Stanford institutes and a new faculty focused on climate and sustainability hope to reinvent plastics
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Professor Field, who led the project, said: "Plastics are useful components of modern life, but we need to make them more sustainable
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This huge challenge requires a holistic approach
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" Cui Yi, director of the Precourt Institute, said the research The institute has always supported research into the more sustainable generation and use of energy, "This and other new research projects we are developing will collaborate with other Stanford entities to create interdisciplinary research teams to overcome large-scale energy and environmental complex challenges
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This time, three of Stanford's new research projects will run for two years, each with an annual funding of $200,000 to $225,000
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Let's take a closer look at these three projects:

(1) Plastics used in the automotive industry 

This project reimagines the manufacture of plastic automotive parts, which are increasingly used due to the trend towards lightweighting for fuel efficiency and electrification
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The research team will utilize a revolutionary new method of 3D printing called "continuous liquid interface production" developed by Joseph DeSimone, a professor of chemical engineering and translational medicine
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Building a way for plastic auto parts to be designed, manufactured and recycled at the end of their useful life by using entirely new plastic materials
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The researchers hope to create circular, additive vehicle manufacturing as well as new recycling process strategies
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(2) Dynamic polymer network 

Another new project aims to address the challenges of plastic recycling and upcycling (recycling to higher value materials) through greater understanding and control of polymers, including design and microstructure from molecular to bulk lengths
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Specifically, the researchers will attempt to establish the missing link between the dynamics and macroscopic properties of new plastics composed of dynamic polymer networks
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The bonding of DPN plastics is reversible, which enables their upcycling and reduces waste generation
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 (3) 3D printer manufacturing engine 

Now that 3D printing technology has matured, the goal of this project is to reduce plastic waste from 3D printing by developing a reusable 3D printing resin that can be printed, batch erased and reprinted in multiple cycles
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This will be achieved by orthogonal polymerization and depolymerization photochemistry triggered by different wavelengths of light
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These chemical processes will be uniquely enabled by nanocapsules, which are triggered by longer wavelengths of low-energy light
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Dan Congreve, lead researcher on the project, said: "The 3D printing market is growing at a dizzying rate, but the vast majority of materials are discarded after a single use, and most can only be achieved through the use of expensive specialized equipment.
Recycling, using these nanocapsules allows us to obtain new recycling methods that allow these materials to be recycled multiple times
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" Another researcher, Danielle Mai, added that the goal was to make prints from recycled resin with physical properties comparable to those of fresh resin prints
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Given the urgency of the climate and sustainability challenges facing the planet, Stanford University has adjusted and expanded its research and educational resources with a new faculty focused primarily on environmental studies
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The new faculty brings together and expands the School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences, two institutes, facilities at the Hopkins Ocean Station, and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, which joins the Stanford School of Engineering
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At the new school, through graduate and interdisciplinary projects, faculty from all Stanford schools are brought together to tackle challenges that require multiple perspectives, such as finding alternatives to current plastic use
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They hope to co-create and scale policy and technological solutions to sustainability challenges through the expertise of the entire University and external partners
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