Plastics and polymers
A collection of Catalyst articles about plastics and polymers.
- ALL
- Article
Article
Plastics: an Insoluble Problem
A Catalyst article about the problems of recycling plastics.
This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2002, Volume 13, Issue 1.
Plastics Forever?
A Catalyst article discussing how polymers affect every day of people’s lives.
This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2005, Volume 15, Issue 4.
Hydrogels - Water-Absorbing Polymers
A Catalyst article about hydrogels.
This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2007, Volume 18, Issue 1.
Studying Lung Surfactant
A Catalyst article about the inner surface of lungs, which is coated with surfactant, allowing oxygen to enter the bloodstream.
This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2007, Volume 18, Issue 2.
Fantastic Plastic
This Catalyst article looks at the use of polymers in the manufacture of household items.
This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2008, Volume 19, Issue 1.
Aeroplanes, Shampoo and Super-Microscopes
A Catalyst article about using the ISIS accelerator to study the structures of materials.
This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2008, Volume 19, Issue 2.
It's a Material World
A Catalyst article about working in materials science and engineering, the process of deciding which material is best for each application.
This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2007, Volume 17, Issue 3.
Designs on Space: the Lifecycle of a Satellite
A Catalyst article about designing, building and testing a spacecraft.
This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2009, Volume 19, Issue 3.
Blocking Viruses with Synthetic Receptors
This Catalyst article explains how chemists build molecular 'traps' to mimic the surface of a cell.
This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2009, Volume 20, Issue 2.
Biomimetics
A Catalyst article describing how new materials can be designed by studying natural materials and how they work.
This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2010, Volume 20, Issue 4.
Make Your Own Elastic Band
This Catalyst article explains how to make an elastic band using Copydex, a source of rubber latex.
This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2010, Volume 21, Issue 1.
Make Your Own Lava Lamp
This Catalyst article describes how to make a lava lamp by using three simple ingredients: vegetable oil, food colouring and fizzing tablets. The article also explains the processes taking place inside a real lava lamp and why they happen.
This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2011, Volume 22, Issue 1.
Aerogels
This Catalyst article investigates the nature of aerogels, which are among the least dense solid materials, not much denser than air.
The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2014, Volume 24, Issue 3.
Stephanie Kwolek - Polymer Chemist *suitable for home teaching*
This Catalyst article is about Stephanie Kwolek, who invented the tough polymer Kevlar, used in protective clothing and developed a method for demonstrating the production of nylon in the classroom which is still used today.
The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2014, Volume 25, Issue 1.
Wearing Electronics
This Catalyst article investigates how polymer materials can be designed and printed with electrical properties that allow them to be used in wearable electronic devices.
The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2015, Volume 26, Issue 2.
Materials That Can Repair Themselves
This Catalyst article investigates carefully designed polymer materials that can repair themselves when mechanically damaged.
The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2015, Volume 26, Issue 2.
Materials for Space Travel
This Catalyst article investigates materials that are used in space travel.
The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2015, Volume 26, Issue 2.
Alloys and Aircraft
This Catalyst article investigates materials used in jet engines.
The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2015, Volume 26, Issue 2.
