Scientists Turn Used LCDs Into Medicine

schliz writes "Scientists from the University of York have come up with a new recycling technique that extracts PVA from used LCD panels to create a 'a bioactive sponge.' The technique could allow recovered PVA to be used in pills, wound dressings and tissue scaffolds that aid human tissue regeneration. It could also keep waste LCD screens from incineration or landfill altogether."

Comments

What?

[EkriirkE]

So they are just salvaging the non-toxic readily bio-degradable glue from the panels?
Then what happens to the rest of the toxic non bio-degradable materials they claim will be prevented from entering the landfills/incinerators?

Re:What?

[budgenator]

I use the stuff at work, it's available in various industrial, technical and even in food grades and not particularly expensive. It's also the primary ingredient in Slime a substance without which the Nickelodeon network could not exist.

Re:Response times

[Jerry Coffin]

Undoubtedly meant to be funny, but the serious answer is no. What they're using is PVA (Polyvinyl Alcohol). An LCD panel has a polarizer on the front and back, and a layer of PVA is what actually does the polarizing. The polarizers are pretty much the same regardless of the response time... :-)

We actually use ink jet printers to run screens to

[WillAffleckUW]

A lot of scientific research labs use interesting things to get valid scientific results.

We use ink jet print heads to dispense accurate amounts of reagants for biochemical screens, for example.

Wait until you find out that we can put a device in your wrist to measure your glucose level via a wristwatch so you don't have to prick yourself to control diabetes. That one is a real trip. It actually charges itself from the wristwatch, so it can literally run for decades.