# Plastics could see a second life as biodegradable surfactants

- Link: https://www.widthness.com/plastics-could-see-a-second-life-as-biodegradable-surfactants/
- Published: 2021-04-16T09:45:47-05:00
- Author: Curated by Theresa Wysocki

Image caption: Long hydrocarbon chains of polymers are broken into shorter units with the introduction of aluminum end groups. Credit: U.S. Department of Energy, Ames Laboratory. Article provided by Ames Laboratory. Phys.org – April 15, 2021. Scientists at the Institute for Cooperative Upcycling of Plastics (iCOUP), an Energy Frontier Research Center led by Ames Laboratory, have discovered a chemical process that provides biodegradable, valuable chemicals, which are used as surfactants and detergents in a range of applications, from discarded plastics. The process has the potential to create more sustainable and economically favorable lifecycles for plastics. […] Click here to view original web page at phys.org Curated by Theresa Wysocki See Full Bio