Sulfur Polymers: A New Class of Dynamic, Responsive & Recyclable Materials

该项目旨在建立由硫制成的聚合物的设计原则，硫是一种丰富但未充分利用的建筑材料。这些新材料将作为下一代橡胶和塑料进行测试。该项目希望在如何组装和回收这些材料，以及如何利用它们从矿石和电子废物中提取有价值的黄金方面产生新的知识。该项目的预期成果包括获得可用于可持续塑料制造和可持续黄金开采的全新材料。这些成果将带来重大好处，包括功能性替代不可回收塑料，消除金矿开采和电子废物处理中的有毒汞和氰化物。

This project aims to establish design principles for the manufacture of polymers made from sulfur, an abundant yet underused building block. These novel materials will be tested as next-generation rubber and plastic. This project expects to generate new knowledge in how these materials can be assembled and recycled, and also how they can be used to extract valuable gold from ore and e-waste. Anticipated outcomes of the project include access to entirely new materials useful in sustainable plastic manufacturing and sustainable gold extraction. These outcomes should provide significant benefits including functional replacements for non-recyclable plastics and elimination of toxic mercury and cyanide in gold mining and e-waste processing.