2025 - Sustainable Industrial Processing Summit
SIPS2025 Volume 5. Meyers Intl. Symp. / Composite
| Editors: | F. Kongoli, P. Assis, H.A.C. Lopera, S. Diaz, S.N. Monteiro, V.S. Candido |
| Publisher: | Flogen Star OUTREACH |
| Publication Year: | 2025 |
| Pages: | 316 pages |
| ISBN: | 978-1-998384-46-4 (CD) |
| ISSN: | 2291-1227 (Metals and Materials Processing in a Clean Environment Series) |
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POLYMERS' SUCCESS STORIES AND FUTURE CHALLENGES IN THE ERA OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Krzysztof Matyjaszewski1;1CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY, Pittsburgh, United States;
Type of Paper: General Plenary
Id Paper: 400
Topic: 46
Abstract:
Annual production of synthetic polymers exceeds 400 million tons, or around 1kg per person per week. It is so because polymers are ubiquitous, and we could not imagine our civilization without synthetic or natural polymers. Without photosensitive polymers there will be no integrated circuits, no transistors, no smartphones or iPads; polymeric materials are used as parts of targeted drug delivery systems and also protective medical gear; polymers made our cars and planes lighter and more energy efficient; some polymeric materials are stronger than steel but 10 times lighter and non-corrosive; some “intelligent” polymers can respond to external stimuli such as light or electrical current and change their shape and can exhibit shape-memory and also can self-heal. The molecular structures of such advanced polymeric materials need to be exactly designed and controlled. The well-defined, tailored polymers are precisely prepared using tools of macromolecular engineering and “living” polymerization. Recent developments in polymer science include the preparation of polymers from renewable resources, the development of degradable polymers, and the conversion of polymers back to monomers via depolymerization. The current and future trends in polymer science towards sustainable development will be presented.