New technology that allows water-absorbing polypropylene to absorb water

Professor Kanazawa from the University of Fukushima in Japan recently developed a new technology that allows water-repellent polypropylene (PP) to absorb water and can be used to make low-polluting household items.
Polypropylene is a kind of synthetic material with a large amount of daily products. It does not contain chlorine, and it does not produce toxic substances such as dioxin. In order to make it water-absorbent, electron beams and radiation are usually used for irradiation. What Professor Kanazawa has developed is a cheaper production technique that uses ultraviolet light to make it active, and then uses water and chemicals to treat it to form hydroxyl groups on the surface. Hydroxyl radicals combine with oxygen in the air to make PP hydrophilic. After this treatment, the PP can affix 5-13 times its own weight. With the PP can be used to make baby diapers, disposable clothes and other daily necessities, do not have to worry about the environment will cause greater pollution. This technology can also be used to handle other plastic products.