polymer science – The KGP Chronicle

Feb

14

2020

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Celebrating the ‘Macromolecule’

EventsCEAT, elastomers, IIT Kharagpur, King Abdullah University, macromolecule, PET, PLLA, polymer science, Reliance, Rubber Technology Centre, Staudinger, Tomas Bata University, University of Melbourne

It was in 1920 that Hermann Staudinger, the legendary German organic chemist, proposed the concept of ‘macromolecules’. Since then macromolecules have revolutionized the materials sciences and biosciences and supported the rapid growth of the plastics industry. It is not without surprise that the Rubber Technology Centre of IIT Kharagpur, which has spearheaded research in rubber and polymers since its inception in the 1980s, should think it fit to celebrate the beginning of the second century of the macromolecule with the holding of the International Conference on ‘Green and Sustainability in Polymers and Functional Materials: Opportunity and Challenges’, particularly at a…

Taking charge

EventsAPSRT, biodegradable, bioplastic, Guru Nanak Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, IIT Kharagpur, non-renewable, plastic, polymer science

The International Conference on Advances in Polymer Science and Rubber Technology (APSRT) at IIT Kharagpur, organized by the Rubber Technology Centre from September 24-27, discussed what should be the future agenda for the world threatened by Climate Change. Plastics naturally figured prominently in the conference that mulled over how polymer science and the rubber industry had to focus intensively on driving innovation within the broad sustainability framework through waste prevention, re-use, repair, remanufacture and recycling. Prof. Thomas Kurian of the Cochin University of Science and Technology, for example, explained chemical recycling of PET bottles by a route based in aminolysis.…

Agenda for the future

EnvironmentAPSRT, green technology, hydrogel, IIT Kharagpur, medical application, nanocomposites, polymer science, rubber technology, sustainability, tire

Natural biopolymers made from silk, chitosan, collagen, gelan gum are now not only used to make scaffolds for tissue engineering, but they can also be used to create a “3D cell culture microenviroment” to investigate the proliferation and migration of cancer cells. The information was given to the audience by Dr Subhas C. Kundu of the University of Minho, Portugal at the International Conference on Advances in Polymer Science and Rubber Technology (APSRT) at IIT Kharagpur held from September 24-27. At another session at the same conference, Prof. Sanjib K. Patra of the Department of Chemistry of IIT Kharagpur explained…