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[-] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 49 points 1 year ago

"vaporize"

Stand back, microplastics, here comes vaporplastics.

[-] Wilzax@lemmy.world 33 points 1 year ago

Plastics are only plastics when many separate (often gaseous) molecules called monomers form large chains or webs called polymers. If you vaporize a polymer, it gets reverted to being many monomers

[-] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 24 points 1 year ago

Great info, I was just making a bad joke. Thanks for the clarifications.

[-] penquin@lemm.ee 9 points 1 year ago
[-] HK65@sopuli.xyz 21 points 1 year ago

These specific monomers can be found in nature, and they are widely used in industrial applications beyond making plastics, for example they can fuel welding torches.

The monomer of PE is the gas ethylene, which is a plant hormone among other things, and if you combine it with hydrogen from water it makes ethanol, which is the kind of alcohol that is only mildly poisonous so we drink it. It's the easiest way to get alcohol without fermentation, so we use it in industry. So I guess mostly it is.

Propylene, which is the monomer of polypropylene, is a gas that's toxic in large concentrations, apparently it's what makes forest fires poisonous, but it's fine to have a little bit in the air, and it's at least not carcinogenic.

The problem with plastics is not that they are toxic, it's that we make too much and litter in everywhere, including our own body.

[-] penquin@lemm.ee 6 points 1 year ago

Much appreciated

[-] leisesprecher@feddit.org 8 points 1 year ago
[-] ravhall@discuss.online 7 points 1 year ago

Smell that? That’s called freedumb

[-] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

In 2095, 70% of all children's eyes will contain vapor plastic.

this post was submitted on 03 Sep 2024
103 points (95.6% liked)

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