104: Creating Infinitely Recyclable Polymers (ft. Dr. Kezi Cheng)

Recycling plastic reduces its mechanical properties, proportional to the number of recycling cycles. If recycled too much, a plastic bag may tear when filled with groceries and its color and texture may change. Making new products, rather than recycling, can be an appealing option if environmental impacts are overlooked. What if we could permanently overcome this degradation in properties of recycled plastic? What if we could make a material that can be recycled forever, at a low cost and high yield?    In today’s episode, we welcome Dr. Kezi Cheng, a recycling warrior and the CEO of Flo Materials, Inc, a startup that focuses on enabling infinitely recyclable polymers. With her, we discuss:    🔹FLO Materials’ general approach to enabling infinitely recyclable polymers, using Polydiketoenamines (PDK’s). 🔹️The cost efficiency of recycling vs. creating new plastic products. 🔹️What the global landscape of infinitely recyclable polymers looks like. 🔹How the number of women in innovation and entrepreneurship can shape fields. 🔹And much more!    Learn more about our MSE Career Development Online Course, which includes more industry-specific information and advice. https://www.mseacademy.com/courses/students-tier-2   Join our Discord community! You can meet other passionate materials scientists and engineers from around the world, discuss the latest breakthroughs in MSE, share materials-related memes, and get career advice from experts in the field.  https://discord.gg/49dCV3W4eN   Check out our MSE-themed merchandise if you want to support us or simply show off your love of materials science! https://www.itsamaterialworldpodcast.com/shop   For shorter segments and full video podcasts, subscribe to our channel on YouTube. For bloopers, audiograms, and interesting materials science articles, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Feel free to message us on our social media platforms if you have any feedback or recommendations for future episodes, or email us directly at [email protected]. Finally, reach out to David Yeh and Punith Upadhya on LinkedIn if you'd like to chat about the latest breakthroughs in MSE! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpUXt6ui8iC5npSizlfIJ2A  https://www.instagram.com/itsamaterialworldpodcast/  http://linkedin.com/company/it-s-a-material-world-podcast/  https://twitter.com/ItsAMatWorldPod    Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed by either guests or hosts in this show are their own, and do not represent the opinions of the companies or organizations for which they are affiliated. #materialsscience #flomaterials #technology #polymers #recycablepolymers