Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1366075
May 2021 / 15 sphere without harmful solvents. The ball milling process involves mechanical cutting apart of the macromolecules, which generates free radicals detectible in the milled material even after its prolonged exposure to air. During the pro- cess, both the metal bearings used for milling and the ambient oxy- gen act as co-catalysts, allowing the extraction of the monomeric styrene from the oligomeric radical- bearing species or fragments. These fragments can be used in further processes to produce new value- added products. According to Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Research Fellow, Pro- fessor Aaron Rossini of Iowa State University, "Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy shows large concentrations of free radical carbon-centered species in poly- styrene that was milled in air. This is a startling result because free radicals are normally very reactive. Also, the presence of the radicals gives direct evidence that the mill- ing directly causes scission of the polymer chains. We expect that the reactive sites associated with the free radicals can be used to func- tionalize the processed polymers to obtain new value-added products." The research "Depolymerization of Polystyrene Under Ambient Con- ditions" was published in the New Journal of Chemistry. The research was funded primarily by the Ames Laboratory Directed Research and Development program with support from the US Department of Energy Office of Science, Basic Energy Sci- ences, and Materials Science and Engineering Division. Clemson University's contributions were supported by the National Science Foundation via the Office of Integra- tive Activities' Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. facturers in terms of optimizing operations using digitization. According to Micheal Larner, industrial and manufacturing principal analyst at ABI Research, "Currently, pharmaceutical manu- facturers are at Stage 2 in that they have [a] modern factory but lack foresight and struggle to adjust production, or Stage 3 where they have started to implement digital transformation but lack expertise reconfiguring production lines. In the coming decade, many firms will upgrade their existing facilities or build greenfield sites, and their operations will be digitally trans- formed (Stage 4) or operate without humans on-site (Stage 5 — lights out manufacturing)." The report notes that many suppliers are help- ing the pharma industry to digitize and optimize processes. For more info and to purchase a copy of the report, visit www.abiresearch.com. RESEARCH NOTES Scientists discover polystyrene breakdown method to promote recycling, circular economy Scientists at the US Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory and Clemson University have discov- ered a green, low-energy process to break down polystyrene. Poly- styrene plastic is used in foam packaging materials, disposable food containers, cutlery, and other products. The plastic doesn't easily degrade in landfills and is often burned, producing carbon dioxide and other hazardous gases. In an effort to better recycle polystyrene, a team of scientists at Ames Labo- ratory used a ball milling process to deconstruct commercial poly- styrene in a single step, at room temperature, and in ambient atmo-