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Andy’s weekly cafe

As we come to the end of our final week, do you have any questions on what is happening in the world of chemistry, including in the area of sports? …

Andy’s weekly cafe

As we come to the end of this week, do you have any questions on what is happening in the world of chemistry, including in the area of brewing? You …

Andy’s weekly cafe

As we come to the end of this week, do you have any questions on what is happening in the world of chemistry, including in the area of antibiotics? You …

Andy’s weekly cafe

As we come to a close on this week, I’d very much like to invite you to ask me some questions on what is happening in the world of chemistry, …

Sports Bandages

To protect cuts and abrasions, traditionally, flexible cloth bandages are used. These are typically made from cotton. After scouring and bleaching, cotton is 99% cellulose. Cellulose is a polymer made …

The Application of Polymers in Sports

Football, or soccer, is one of the most popular sports in existence. This stems mainly from the nature of the game requiring no aides to playing, such as sticks, bats …

Polymers and Advertising in Sport

Almost every day you will see a commercial or product placement of some sort. Many companies invest heavily in their marketing and advertising departments in order to promote their products …

Polymers in Sports Protection Equipment

Injuries are a common sight in sports, particularly those with contact rules. The fast pace of the game and competitive nature of the athletes can lead to rash challenges, pulled …

Polymers in Sport

Polymers are often trialed in sport for properties which can be beneficial in other areas of science and technology. So, let’s look more closely at some specific examples. The following …

Polymers in Sports Equipment

The optimum design of sports equipment requires the application of a number of disciplines, from anatomy to materials science, for enhanced performance, to make the equipment as user-friendly as possible …

How Polymers are Made

There are a wide variety of polymers available in the world and an even greater number of monomers, which make up these polymeric chains. Understanding how monomers react to form …

What is Teflon?

Teflon Teflon® is the trademark name for a family of fluorinated polymers that includes poly(tetrafluoroethylene), PTFE ([–CF2–CF2–]n). What are polymers? PTFE was first made by accident by the American chemist …

How to make art with coffee rings

Rather than coffee staining our teeth, or coffee table, let’s use this staining power creatively to make a ‘molecular’ work of art. Hints and tips for coffee art Make sure …

What’s in a Coffee?

Most of us have a favourite style of coffee and every cup will taste different because of the roast of the coffee bean, the grind, the amount of bean used, …