Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT in Oberhausen, Germany are developing a new process of impregnating plastics with compressed CO2 in a process that could lead to new applications ranging from coloured contact lenses to bacteria-resistant door handles. At a temperature of 30.1¢ªC and a pressure of 73.8 bar, CO2 goes into a supercritical state that gives the gas solvent-like properties. In this state, it can be introduced into polymers, or act as a “carrier” in which dyes, additives, medical compounds and other substances can be dissolved. “We pump liquid carbon dioxide into a… Login to continue

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