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Review Maps Five Routes to High-Performance PFAS-Free Membranes

The review compares phase inversion, film stretching, melt extrusion, sacrificial templating, and electrospinning as routes to PFAS-free waterproof breathable membranes. It finds that no single method maximizes waterproofness, breathability, durability, and scalability, highlighting the need for application-specific design and standardized testing.

29 Jul 2026

Electron-Tuned Interfaces Build Stronger Metal-Polymer Bonds Without Adhesives

Researchers showed that strong metal-polymer bonding depends on electron donation from polymer functional groups into vacant orbitals on oxidized metal surfaces. By engineering oxygen vacancies and carboxyl groups, they increased the tensile-shear strength of magnesium alloy/CFRTP joints by more than 400%.

26 Jul 2026

COF-Polymer Electrolyte Extends Sodium Battery Life Under Fast Charging

Researchers embedded a sulfonate-functionalized covalent organic framework in a fluorinated polymer electrolyte, creating ordered pathways that increased sodium-ion conductivity to 1.2 mS cm?¹ at 30 °C. The composite supported long-lived sodium-metal cycling and retained 87.3% capacity after 488 cycles in a 1 Ah solid-state pouch cell.

21 Jul 2026

UV Curable System with a Fluorescent Dye Meets ISO 10993-5 Testing

Master Bond UV16Med-FD is a one part, low viscosity, epoxy based UV curable system containing a fluorescent dye for identification.

From Master Bond Inc. 13 Jul 2026

New Technique Takes the Heat Out of 3D Printing Process

Researchers have developed a new 3D printing technique that allows the printing of whole objects and controls the temperature of the chemical reaction to stabilize the process.

10 Jul 2026

Scientists Warn Biodegradable Plastics Are Not a Silver Bullet

The review finds that biodegradable plastics could help reduce persistent plastic pollution, but only if paired with lower plastic use, better recycling, clear certification, and proper disposal infrastructure. It highlights major barriers, including high costs, inconsistent real-world degradation, environmental trade-offs, and limited waste-management systems.

24 Jun 2026

AI-Controlled 3D Printing Corrects Large-Scale Manufacturing Errors

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have created a new tool that can catch and correct potential mistakes in real time while 3D printing large plastic parts.

22 May 2026

New ‘Super Hydrogel’ Pulls Drinking Water From Thin Air for Months at a Time

Researchers have developed a more durable moisture-harvesting hydrogel that resists metal-triggered degradation, allowing it to continuously pull drinkable water from the air for months.

22 May 2026

New “Permanently Wet” Coating Method Could Transform Wastewater Treatment by Helping Bacteria Survive Better

Living bacteria embedded in coatings could clean wastewater, capture carbon and generate biofuels – but only if they survive the manufacturing process.

20 May 2026

SABIC Launches ULTEM™ Reactive Oligomer for Tough, Lightweight Aerospace Composites

SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, today introduced ULTEM™ SU3102P reactive oligomer, a novel toughening agent for thermoset composites used in primary and secondary aerospace structures such as wings, fuselage frames, spoilers and interior components.

From SABIC Innovative Plastics 6 May 2026

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