Polymers jump through hoops on pathway to sustainable materials

Recyclable plastics that contain ring-shaped polymers may be a key to developing sustainable synthetic materials. Despite some promising advances, researchers said, a full understanding of how to processes ring polymers into practical materials remains elusive. In a new study, researchers identified a mechanism called ‘threading’ that takes place when a polymer is stretched — a behavior not witnessed before. This new insight may lead to new processing methods for sustainable polymer materials.