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NYLON, FROM SEEDS

Coriander, used only for culinary purposes till recently, can now be used as a source of industrial nylon. Scientists of the John Innes Institute in Norwich, United Kingdom, have found out that coriander seeds contain per-roselinic acid, which can be broken down to yield adipic acid, used in the production of tough and resilient nylon for the automobile industry. However, a search for a more eco-freindly process to obtain this nylon is on, as the current production process releases nitrous oxide, which, as nitrogen oxide, is harmful for the ozone layer.

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