resin tagged posts

A method to convert a commonly thrown-away plastic to a resin used in 3Dprinting could allow for making better use of plastic waste.

A team of Washington State University researchers developed a simple and efficient way to convert polylactic acid (PLA), a bio-based plastic used in products such as filament, plastic silverware and food packaging to a high-quality resin.

“We found a way to immediately turn this into something that’s stronger and better, and we hope that will provide people the incentive to upcycle this stuff instead of just toss it away,” said Yu-Chung Chang, a postdoctoral researcher in the WSU School of Mechanical and Mat...

Biofilms composed of Streptococcus mutans–a common cause of tooth decay–were much easier to remove when grown on a newly developed dental material (right image), which has an antimicrobial agent within it, compared to a control material.

Dentists rely on composite materials to perform restorative procedures, eg. filling cavities. Yet these materials, like tooth enamel, can be vulnerable to the growth of plaque, the sticky biofilm that leads to tooth decay. Researchers have evaluated a new dental material tethered with an antimicrobial compound that can not only kill bacteria but can also resist biofilm growth...