Face Masks Can Be Recycled to Create Stronger Concrete

New research published in Materials Letters announced that scientists at Washington State University found a way to recycle face masks by incorporating them into concrete, creating a more durable material that is 50% stronger than the standard. As face masks generate plastic pollution and concrete engenders a carbon-intensive process, the study not only improves concrete’s design, it also addresses two sustainability issues. Researchers found that …

Link About It: This Week’s Picks

Textiles embedded with data, new fish species, fashion in the metaverse and more

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope Observes The Farthest Star Ever Seen Documented in a new study led by Johns Hopkins University PhD candidate Brain Welch and published in the scientific journal Nature, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has captured an image of a star estimated to be 28 billion light-years away—making it the most distant one ever seen. Named Earendel, this 12.9-billion-year-old cosmic object happens to be …

Concrete Made From Old Tires Proves Tougher and More Sustainable

One of the world’s most widely used materials, concrete is responsible for 8% of global carbon emissions. To find more sustainable alternatives, researchers often look to other resources and, in this case, have turned to old rubber tires. A new study from scientists at the University of South Australia and Melbourne’s RMIT University used crumb rubber concrete—concrete made by grinding used tires into crumb-like pieces—as …