Each year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA; Washington, D.C.; www.epa.gov) honors innovative technologies that make an impact in reducing hazards to human health and the environment. As these are goals that the chemical process industries (CPI) continuously strive for, news of such achievements is of great interest.
Over the past 18 years of the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge program, the EPA has received around 1,500 nominations and has presented awards for 93 technologies. The EPA reports that these technologies have collectively reduced the use, or generation of, more than 826 million pounds of hazardous chemicals, saved 21 billion gallons of water and eliminated 7.8 billion pounds of CO2-equivalent releases to the air.
The winners of the 2013 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards were announced in December, and are briefly described here (Source: EPA):
Designing Greener Chemicals Award — Cargill Inc. (Minneapolis, Minn.; www.cargill.com) was the recipient of this award for developing a transformer fluid that is based on vegetable oil instead of petroleum. The advantages of Cargill’s bio-based oil are said to be that it is significantly less flammable and less toxic than the mineral oils currently in use; it provides superior performance so that transformers can last longer in service and be made smaller; and it has a smaller carbon footprint.
Greener Reaction Conditions Award — The Dow Chemical Company (Midland, Mich., www.dow.com) received this award for helping to reduce the amount of titanium dioxide needed in paint formulations by developing a pre-composite polymer that coats the TiO2 particles and improves their dispersion in the paint. TiO2 is typically used as the white pigment in paint formulations, and often high levels of TiO2, which is energy-intensive to produce, are needed. Dow Chemical’s technology reduces energy usage, water consumption, NOx and SOx emissions and algae bloom.
Greener Synthetic Pathways Award — Life Technologies Corp. (Carlsbad, Calif.; www.lifetechnologies.com) was honored with this award for its development of a more efficient way to manufacture the key chemicals (deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates) used to perform genetic testing. The new process reduces the amount of hazardous waste by about 1.5 million pounds per year.
Academic Award — This award was presented to Richard Wool of the University of Delaware (Newark; www.udel.edu) for his work on using bio-based feedstocks to make products that can be used in applications such as adhesives, composites, foams and others. The advantages include saving water and energy, as well as producing less hazardous waste materials as compared to petroleum-based processes.
Small Business Award — Hexavalent chromium is used in certain chrome-plating applications. Cr(VI) is, however, a carcinogen. Faraday Technology, Inc. (Clayton, Ohio; www.faradaytechnology.com) won this award for developing a plating process that uses Cr(III), a much less toxic form of chromium, in place of Cr(VI).
Environment, Health, Safety & Security
Green chemistry reaps rewards
| By Chemical Engineering
Each year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA; Washington, D.C.; www.epa.gov) honors innovative technologies that make an impact in reducing hazards to human health and the environment. As these are goals that the chemical process industries (CPI) continuously strive for, news of such achievements is of great interest.
Over the past 18 years of the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge program, the EPA has received around 1,500 nominations and has presented awards for 93 technologies. The EPA reports that these technologies have collectively reduced the use, or generation of, more than 826 million pounds of hazardous chemicals, saved 21 billion gallons of water and eliminated 7.8 billion pounds of CO2-equivalent releases to the air.
The winners of the 2013 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards were announced in December, and are briefly described here (Source: EPA):
Designing Greener Chemicals Award — Cargill Inc. (Minneapolis, Minn.; www.cargill.com) was the recipient of this award for developing a transformer fluid that is based on vegetable oil instead of petroleum. The advantages of Cargill’s bio-based oil are said to be that it is significantly less flammable and less toxic than the mineral oils currently in use; it provides superior performance so that transformers can last longer in service and be made smaller; and it has a smaller carbon footprint.
Greener Reaction Conditions Award — The Dow Chemical Company (Midland, Mich., www.dow.com) received this award for helping to reduce the amount of titanium dioxide needed in paint formulations by developing a pre-composite polymer that coats the TiO2 particles and improves their dispersion in the paint. TiO2 is typically used as the white pigment in paint formulations, and often high levels of TiO2, which is energy-intensive to produce, are needed. Dow Chemical’s technology reduces energy usage, water consumption, NOx and SOx emissions and algae bloom.
Greener Synthetic Pathways Award — Life Technologies Corp. (Carlsbad, Calif.; www.lifetechnologies.com) was honored with this award for its development of a more efficient way to manufacture the key chemicals (deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates) used to perform genetic testing. The new process reduces the amount of hazardous waste by about 1.5 million pounds per year.
Academic Award — This award was presented to Richard Wool of the University of Delaware (Newark; www.udel.edu) for his work on using bio-based feedstocks to make products that can be used in applications such as adhesives, composites, foams and others. The advantages include saving water and energy, as well as producing less hazardous waste materials as compared to petroleum-based processes.
Small Business Award — Hexavalent chromium is used in certain chrome-plating applications. Cr(VI) is, however, a carcinogen. Faraday Technology, Inc. (Clayton, Ohio; www.faradaytechnology.com) won this award for developing a plating process that uses Cr(III), a much less toxic form of chromium, in place of Cr(VI).
More information about the awards, winners and overall program can be found at www2.epa.gov/green-chemistry.