ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | MAY/JUNE 2025 7 than the alternative,” says Kempler. They are continuing their work with civil engineers at Oregon State University and an electrode manufacturing company to help scale up their designs. uoregon.edu. SEASHELLS LEAD TO SAFER PLASTICS Scientists at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, discovered that a mineral commonly found in seashells could be used to create a safer alternative to plastic. Researcher Eun Ji Chung and her lab developed a biocompatible plastic alternative by adding calcium carbonate from seashells into poly (1,8-octanediol-co-citrate) (POC). “In graduate school, we added hydroxyapatite, which are these calcium particles that are in your bone, and I fabricated them together, and they are now biodegradable materials that are already FDA approved,” Chung says. “I started thinking that seashells have calcium, too. That’s why they’re stiff like bone. But they have a different kind of calcium particle. So, I basically adapted what I did and replicated it to be more suitable for an alternative plastic material.” Chung said the citric acid polymer’s texture is sticky. When calcium particles are added and it is heated and cured in an oven, it forms a plastic-like material. The resulting material, POC-CC, was developed into a prototype and formed into beverage holder rings strong enough to hold cans. The team believed Researchers developed a new biocompatible plastic substitute that can be used as a replacement for beverage holder rings. Courtesy of Chung Lab. that the POC-CC material could be a biocompatible plastic substitute that would degrade in marine environments while maintaining sufficient strength for industrial applications. The team is now planning an improved version of the material to help it degrade faster. usc.edu. CURED SAMPLE ABRASION RESISTANT Silicon Carbide Filled Epoxy Adhesive Supreme 45HTQ-4 www.masterbond.com ■ Robust chemical resistance ■ Serviceable from -100°F to +450°F ■ Very high compressive strength ■ Exceptionally long pot life Hobart St., Hackensack NJ, USA • +1.201.343.8983 • mainmasterbond.com
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