fromdesignboom | architecture & design magazine
1 week agoscientists recycle plastic bags into glowing sensors that detect toxic metals in drinking water
The process starts with polyethylene, which is the main plastic used in shopping bags. The researchers convert it into very small particles called carbon quantum dots, or CQDs. These particles are smaller than a virus, and to produce them, the team uses a combination of two methods: pyrolysis and hydrothermal treatment. Pyrolysis involves heating the plastic without oxygen, while hydrothermal treatment involves heating the material in water under pressure.
Science