In a study publishing April 30 in the Cell Press journal Chem Circularity, a team of scientists and engineers demonstrates a stretchy, hemp-derived thermoplastic that can extend up to 1,600% of its size. The material has a high “glass transition temperature,” a quality that allows plastics to stay dry and durable when they come into contact with boiling hot water. IMS faculty, Professor Gregory Sotzing, has developed a high-temperature thermoplastic polycarbonate from naturally sourced Cannabidiol (CBD) extract from hemp flower that matches Polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) mechanical properties.

As the global pollution crisis caused by manufacturing and disposing of single-use plastics continues to grow, researchers have developed a non-toxic plastic alternative derived from the hemp plant—a non-psychoactive type of cannabis. Read more

 

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