Materials & Manufacturing

Researchers from the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) in Singapore,in collaboration with IBM Research say that they have developed the first-ever antimicrobial hydrogel that can break apart biofilms and destroy multidrug-resistant superbugs upon contact. Tests have demonstrated the...

As reported to the American Chemical Society (ACS), University of Minnesota researchers have discovered a previously unrecognized way that degradation can occur in silicone-urethane plastics often used in medical devices. Their study, published in ACS' journal Macromolecules, could have implications...

Breast cancer is a terrible affliction that affects approximately one in eight women in the US. In 2012, nearly a quarter- million cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among women. Due to the progress of medicine and associated treatment, the death rate associated with breast...

In Brussels, Belgium, the PVCMed Alliance was launched to promote the use and value of PVC in healthcare applications. PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, is the third-most widely produced plastic. The PVCMed Alliance is a coalition of PVC resin and plasticizer producers and PVC converters. The Alliance’s...

Within all polymers, there are structural flaws at the molecular level. In an ideal network, each polymer chain would bind only to another chain. In reality, though, many of the chains bind to themselves, forming floppy loops that can weaken the network. A team of chemical engineers at Massachusetts Institute of...