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Upcycling Plastics Into Surfactants: Research at Virginia Tech

Chemistry professor discovers a new method of recycling plastics from milk cartons, food containers and plastic bags into soap.

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By: Christine Esposito

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A team led by Virginia Tech researchers has developed a new method for upcycling plastics into surfactants. The chemical structure of polyethylene — one of the most commonly used plastics in the world today — is strikingly similar to that of a fatty acid, which is used as a chemical precursor to soap, note the Virginia Tech team. Both materials are made of long carbon chains, but fatty acids have an extra group of atoms at the end of the chain. Guoliang “Greg” Liu, associate professor of c...

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