Recycling your bulletproof vest in a microwave reactor
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 21-Aug-2025 02:11 ET (21-Aug-2025 06:11 GMT/UTC)
Polymer scientists at the University of Groningen and NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences (the Netherlands) have developed a novel microwave-assisted chemical recycling process for aramid fibres.
26.02.2025/Kiel. The south-western Baltic Sea has about 3,000 kilograms of dissolved toxic chemicals released from unexploded ordnance, according to a new study by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. The substances were detected in almost all water samples taken in 2017 and 2018, with particularly high concentrations in the Bights of Kiel and Lübeck. The levels are still below thresholds for health risk, but highlight the urgent need for munitions clearance to minimise long-term risks. The study has now been published in the journal Chemosphere.
New double network hydrogel technology features automated self-strengthening that rapidly activates upon deformation of its polymer network.
A team of researchers from the University of Oxford, in collaboration with Thames Valley Police, the National Crime Agency, the John Radcliffe Hospital, Lurtis Ltd. and Cardiff University, has developed an advanced physics-based AI-driven tool to aid the forensic investigation of traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
New Curtin University research has revealed how massive ancient glaciers acted like giant bulldozers, reshaping Earth’s surface and paving the way for complex life to flourish.
By chemically analysing crystals in ancient rocks, the researchers discovered that as glaciers carved through the landscape, they scraped deep into the Earth’s crust, releasing key minerals that altered ocean chemistry.
This process had a profound impact on our planet’s composition, creating conditions that allowed complex life to evolve.
On Wednesday 26 February, a thermal imaging camera built by researchers at the University of Oxford’s Department of Physics will blast off to the Moon as part of NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer mission. This aims to map sources of water on the Moon to shed light on the lunar water cycle and to guide future robotic and human missions.