At the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, research is underway to recycle our unwanted plastic bags and convert them into carbon fiber. Not only that, but the properties of the fibers themselves could be fine-tuned, allowing different types of carbon fiber to be created for specific applications.
The main scientist on the project, Amit Naskar, began with polyethylene-base fibers which could conceivably come from waste plastic sources, such as shopping bags and carpet backing scraps. Using a “a multi-component melt extrusion-based fiber spinning method,” the surface contours of these fibers can be customized, and their diameter can be manipulated with submicron precision.
Bundles of these fibers are dipped into a proprietary acid chemical bath. A process known as sulfonation causes the plastic molecules to bond with one another, transforming each bundle of fibers into one joined black fiber.
When exposed to very high temperatures, these fibers won’t melt but instead, the heat will cause their chemical components to turn to a gaseous state. After the gass has been released, a fiber composed of most carbon is all that remains.
Due to its tunable porosity, many uses are envisioned for the plastic-derived carbon fiber. Scientist hope the material will be of use to the production of applications such as filtration or energy harvesting, but more importantly it is hoped to be used in the American auto industry, to make tough yet lightweight, inexpensive car parts.
The process holds great economic value as common material, such as polyethylene used in plastic bags, could be turned into something far more valuable.
“Our results represent what we believe will one day provide industry with a flexible technique for producing technologically innovative fibers in myriad configurations such as fiber bundle or non-woven mat assemblies” – Amit Naskar
http://www.gizmag.com/carbon-fiber-polyethylene/21985/
one into the creation of car windows, no one every stops to think what type of glass is used in each one. The windshield of a car is made out of laminated glass for many reasons. Primarily it is made this way to limit breakage. When a stone flicks up at the window, due to the toughness of the material, it cracks instead of shattering. The side windows of a car are made out of toughened glass but it is not a tough material, if an object were to hit them they would shatter into tiny pieces. A sound knowledge of the specific characteristics of each glass could help you in real life situations. If you were to drive your car into a frozen lake and happened to have a hammer in the car, you could break your way out and swim to safety by shattering the side windows. If you were to hit the windshield it would only crack and due to the pressure from the outside pushing in you would not be able to escape.