Materials in chemistry

Many commercially available plastics are, by nature, hard and brittle at room temperature. Only the addition of special additives, known as plasticizers, enables their processing and use for everyday consumer …

About 100 years ago, the production of purely synthetic plastics—made exclusively from artificial components—began. In 1907, the Belgian chemist Leo Hendrik Baekeland (1863–1944) developed a process for producing and processing …

When hearing the term glass, most people first think of drinking glasses or window panes. But what kind of material is it actually? Glass is an amorphous solid that is …

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are organic compounds that are harmful to humans and animals and degrade only very slowly in the environment. They contaminate air, soil and water and can …

The material silicone rubber offers a wide range of excellent technical properties and is therefore used in many different applications. But what can this elastomer do—the one found in clothing, …

Carbon is located in the second period and fourth main group of the periodic table of the elements. This position gives it something of a special role, since it can …

Corrosion is a global problem. Steel structures in particular are affected, such as bridges and load-bearing structures, but also industrial plants, railway tracks, pipelines, vehicles, and machinery. In 2009, the …

In 2011, people became ill, and some even died as a result of an EHEC outbreak—an intestinal infection caused by the enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli bacterium. The cause was fenugreek sprouts …

The Birth Certificates of Chemical Substances In chemical research – and especially in the development of new chemical products – detailed knowledge of the properties of the raw and auxiliary …

Many people are familiar with nylon and the related polymer Perlon as components of textiles. However, polyamides are also used in vehicles and under the hood. Fuels, for example, are …