"50 micron thick polymethylpentene mixed with tiny glass beads"
As an achievement in science this is cool, but... we should be reducing energy consumption while also not polluting the surface of the planet. Where's this stuff going to end up when houses covered with it are torn down in 30-100 years?
As I understand it, "microplastics" are small particles of plastic, not thin sheets of it. The sheets should be easier to reprocess than small particles would be.
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"50 micron thick polymethylpentene mixed with tiny glass beads"
As an achievement in science this is cool, but... we should be reducing energy consumption while also not polluting the surface of the planet. Where's this stuff going to end up when houses covered with it are torn down in 30-100 years?
To be clear, this is actually a very small amount of plastic. Let's say a roof is 300 square meters; that amounts to < 2 cubic centimeters of plastic.
I would guess that there are examples of much larger consumers of plastic.
That'd make it far less plastic than is currently used for roofs just for the vapor barrier under roofing tiles.
Recycle it.
We don't recycle microplastics for a variety of reasons, that's the reason I bring the issue up. Current theory is microplastics end up in our food.
As I understand it, "microplastics" are small particles of plastic, not thin sheets of it. The sheets should be easier to reprocess than small particles would be.