01 Sep 2023 --- Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories, US, have developed a molecule that can make plastics more durable by reducing temperature fluctuations within polymer chains. Plastics change and deteriorate more rapidly than other materials like metal and ceramics, which the study team sought to address. Repeated exposure to hot and cold temperatures usually causes materials to expand and contract. This process decreases product durability, and while different materials have different rates of change, plastic components are often the weak link in any product composed of different materials.
