Two scientists from Colorado State University have managed to invent the world’s first biopolymer that can be fully converted back to its original Gamma-butyroalctone monomer without leaving behind any waste, thus making it fully re-usable.
Eugene Chen and his partner Miao Hong have been experimenting in finding a way of converting back GBL polymer to its original Gamma-butyroalctone monomer, which other scientists in the scientific community had concluded to be an impossible feat to achieve.
However, duo Chen and Hong continued to experiment different ways to achieve fully recyclable process to produce Gamma-butyroalctone monomer. Eventually, the duo found a method to create linear and cyclic versions of the polymer by altering the reaction conditions and the catalysts used during the production process to accomplish the feat.