Conversation articles

Plastics of the future may be made from sulfur, not oil, putting waste to good use

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Charles W. Dunnill, Swansea University and Joseph C Bear, UCL What has chemistry ever done for me, you might ask? Just as Dustin Hoffman was told by one of his would-be mentors in The Graduate, one answer is plastics – one of the greatest chemical innovations of the 20th century. Most plastic items are made … Read more Plastics of the future may be made from sulfur, not oil, putting waste to good use

Making space rocket fuel from water could drive a power revolution on Earth

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Charles W. Dunnill, Swansea University and Robert Phillips, Swansea University Researchers led by NASA’s former chief technologist are hoping to launch a satellite carrying water as the source of its fuel. The team from Cornell University, guided by Mason Peck, want their device to become the first shoebox-sized “CubeSat” to orbit the moon, while demonstrating … Read more Making space rocket fuel from water could drive a power revolution on Earth

Method of making oxygen from water in zero gravity raises hope for long-distance space travel

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Charles W. Dunnill, Swansea University Space agencies and private companies already have advanced plans to send humans to Mars in the next few years – ultimately colonising it. And with a growing number of discoveries of Earth-like planets around nearby stars, long-distance space travel has never seemed more exciting. However, it isn’t easy for humans … Read more Method of making oxygen from water in zero gravity raises hope for long-distance space travel