Professor Plastics Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Plastics Make It Possible

Will 3D Printing Improve Sustainability?

Many news articles about 3-D printing suggest that a new paradigm of “distributed manufacturing” is imminent, in which people all over the world will make stuff they need in or close to their homes. This shift reportedly can reduce the environmental footprint resulting from manufacturing. The th...

U.S. Recycling: Half Full? Half Empty?

I love keeping tabs on all the cool advancements in plastics recycling, tracking recycling stats and hearing how communities are collecting more and more of my favorite materials. And I love hearing about all the fun and innovative uses for recycled plastics. But I usually don’t hear so much about...

What is Polypropylene Plastic?

Before waxing poetic about yet another of my favorite plastics, let me be clear: I love them all. (Reference my silicone and polyester articles if you doubt my even-handed passion.) So let’s delve into a plastic that is widely considered one of the most versatile: polypropylene! You run across th...

What is Silicone Plastic?

Have you ever thought about what your hair conditioner, your car windshield, and cooking tools may have in common? OK, probably not, but I have. All these products can be made with silicones. These polymers are so versatile that you can find them in countless everyday products—from the practical, ...

Why Plastic Solar Cells Could Become a Very Big Deal

One of the things I love about plastics is their ability to modernize or revolutionize existing products. Think: air bags in cars. Boeing’s new Dreamliner airplane made with plastic composites. Today’s tennis rackets made with carbon fiber-reinforced plastics—I mean, are wood tennis rackets ev...

Plastics to Fuel: Will Used Plastics Help Power America?

If you’ve been reading my posts, you know I’m a big fan of recycling everyday plastics so they can live on as new products. How big a fan? Let’s just say I recently caught one of my students throwing away a plastic bottle, so I made him write a paper on why plastics are too valuable to waste. ...

A Desktop 3-D Printer in Every Home?

In my previous article on 3-D printing, plastics and manufacturing, I noted that this new technology is getting quite a bit of attention these days, especially in the media. Given all the attention to 3D printing lately, you might think that you are sadly behind the curve if you don’t have a 3D pr...

Uses of 3D Printing and Plastics in Manufacturing—Waddup?

3D printing is getting quite a bit of attention these days from the media, big business, entrepreneurs, doctors, artists—and even chefs. Although still small, the market for 3D printing products and services is growing quickly, expected to reach $6 billion worldwide by 2017. And the “wow” fact...

What Do Carbon Fiber Car Components Have to Do with Plastics?

Professor Plastics Has Two Words For You: Carbon Fiber. When planning and building our new cars, automakers are increasingly turning to carbon fiber—the same type of material used in Boeing’s high-tech 787 Dreamliner airplanes. It’s said to be up to 10 times stronger than steel yet four times ...

A Recycling Timeline for America Recycles Day

In celebration of America Recycles Day on November 15, Professor Plastics will play Professor of History and highlight some of her favorite milestones in this plastics recycling timeline. Plastics are relatively new. Plastics recycling is even newer. Fortunately, plastic recycling is growing quickly...

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