Chemists design extra-sticky adhesives that degrade on command
A good adhesive is unequivocally sticky. A great adhesive is sticky until you don't want it to be sticky anymore—a label on cardboard until it's time to recycle it. Medical tape on a cut until the wound heals. A GWAR poster on a bedroom wall until your parents kick you out.
Two Virginia Tech chemists have created adhesives that stick just as well as duct tape but can be broken down and recycled after use. John Matson and Josh Worch developed the new materials to address the problem of non-recyclable plastic backing and chemicals in traditional adhesives. By using naturally occurring compounds and innovative polymer structures, their adhesives outperform conventional options while being fully recyclable.
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