Researchers invent process to make sustainable rubber, plastics

(University of Delaware) Synthetic rubber and plastics -- used for manufacturing tires, toys and myriad other products -- are produced from butadiene, a molecule traditionally made from petroleum or natural gas. But those manmade materials could get a lot greener soon, thanks to a team of scientists from three U.S. research universities. The scientific team -- from the University of Delaware, the University of Minnesota and the University of Massachusetts - has invented a process to make butadiene from renewable sources.
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: news