Researchers have developed a polystyrene (PS) alternative containing renewable raw materials, offering potential for use in electronic packaging. The German research team says that the material can be produced in an energy-efficient way and that it is more easily degradable than conventional PS.
The study, published in the journal Chem Circularity, describes how the scientists engineered degradable PS-based copolymers through microwave-assisted free-radical polymerization. The solution aims to address plastic waste accumulation in landfills, marine environments, and terrestrial ecosystems.
