The article Ki discovers superplastic against plastic pollution first appeared at the online magazine Basic Thinking. You can start the day well every morning via our newsletter update.
Researchers have developed a kind of superplastic using AI. The new plastic should be significantly more resistant than previous connections and plastic waste.
Plastics are indispensable from our everyday life. Because plastic is used from smartphone housing to food packaging to reduce weight and enable flexibility. But many plastics are often not robust enough, tear in quickly and then end as trash.
Chemical research has therefore been working to make plastics more resistant for years. Now have Researcher of MIT And Duke University a new form of support: artificial intelligence. With the help of a AI model, you have found new molecules that could make plastic as tough as never before and help to contain the flood of plastic waste.
The background is so -called “networking molecules” – a plastic that resembles a tangle of spaghetti. These networkers are small connecting pieces that hold the individual spaghettifers together. So far, researchers had assumed that these connections must be as strong as possible in order to make plastic robust.
AI discovers resistant plastic molecules
However, findings from an earlier study show that weak networkers can make the material more resistant to cracks. A crack is looking for the path of the slightest resistance and has to cut more of the weak connections than with strong, uniform bonds. The challenge for the researchers: find the right weak networkers.
Instead of spending weeks or months with elaborate laboratory tests, they use a AI model to accelerate the process. They focused on a certain class of molecules called “Ferrocene”. These are molecules with an iron atom that lies between two carbon -containing rings. These ferrocene were long promising, but their properties were still largely unexplored.
The AI was fed with the data of 400 Ferrocen molecules that have already been simulated. With this knowledge, the system was able to predict the mechanical properties of over 11,000 other similar connections in the shortest possible time.
The result was not only a list of potential candidates, but also a new knowledge. Because the AI found that particularly large and bulky molecules make the ferrocene break apart faster when there is force. The chemists without AI would probably only have predicted this property in years.
Super plastic for plastic pollution
After the system identified around 100 promising candidates, the researchers synthesized one of them, known as M-TMS-FC. They added this molecule to a kind of plastic called polyacrylate and tested how much strength was necessary to tear the material.
The result: The plastic with the new, AI-covered networker was four times tougher than conventional materials. This discovery could have far -reaching consequences. Because if plastics become much more resistant and durable, we have to produce less of what could reduce plastic waste in the long term.
It is an example of how the use of AI in chemistry not only accelerates research, but can also lead to solutions for some of the most pressing environmental problems of our time. The researchers now hope to use the AI for the search for materials with other useful properties.
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The article Ki discovers superplastic against plastic pollution first appeared on basic thinking. Follow us too Google News and Flipboard Or subscribe to our update newsletter.
As a Tech Industry expert, I am thrilled to hear about AI discovering a super plastic that could potentially help combat plastic pollution. This discovery has the potential to revolutionize the way we address the global plastic crisis and could significantly reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste.
The use of AI in discovering this super plastic showcases the power of technology in finding innovative solutions to complex challenges. It also highlights the importance of collaboration between technology and environmental experts to develop sustainable solutions for protecting our planet.
I believe that this discovery could have far-reaching implications for industries that rely heavily on plastic, such as packaging and manufacturing. By incorporating this super plastic into their products, companies can reduce their environmental footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Overall, I am excited to see how this discovery will be further developed and integrated into our daily lives to help combat plastic pollution and create a more environmentally-friendly world.
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