Three projects receive $150,000 in final round of Cougar Cage event

Researchers work at the PACCAR Environmental Technology Building (photo by Bob Hubner, WSU Photo Services)
Researchers work at the PACCAR Environmental Technology Building (photo by Bob Hubner, WSU Photo Services)

Three projects proposed by Washington State University researchers were awarded $50,000 each in this spring’s Cougar Cage event. Yu-Chung Chang, a postdoctoral research associate, and Professor Jinwen Zhang at the Composite Materials and Engineering Center want to do more than recycle polylactic acid plastics with processing that makes them weaker. In a global market that continues to grow each year, Chang aims to offer a more sustainable and economical alternative to traditional recycling methods. He hopes that through chemical upcycling, plastic can be taken out of landfills and transformed into 3D printable resin that can be used in any commercially available photocuring printer. [Read More…]