Common microbes team up to degrade polymer composites


Common microbes team up to degrade polymer composites


Polymer composites are durable, lightweight replacements for wood, metal or other materials and are used widely in everything from pipelines and utility poles to airplanes and cars.

Research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is shedding new light on how common bacteria can degrade those materials.

“A lot of studies have focused on how these polymer materials would respond to environmental conditions like temperature, moisture or ultraviolet light,” says Pavana Prabhakar, a UW–Madison professor of civil and environmental engineering. “They’ve rarely been studied in the context of microbial interactions.”...

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Ken Notes: This could be huge, controlled we can use this to recycle some of our waste materials. In nature we could see the systemic destruction of sewer, natural gas, and water systems.

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- - Volume: 9 - WEEK: 4 Date: 1/18/2021 10:48:29 AM -