Environmental Aspects and Safety

The details and the backgroimd of RCH/RP s developments have been described elsewhere. The work of Kuntz (then at RP see Section 2.4.1.1.1) on trisulfonated triphenylphosphine (TPPTS) and the industrial implementation and improvements developed by Ruhrchemie eventually laid the foundation for the subsequent successful commercialization [3]. TPPTS is the ideal ligand modifier for the oxo-active HRh(CO)4. Without any expensive preformation steps, three of the four CO ligands can be substituted by the readily soluble (1100 g L water) and nontoxic (LD50, oral 5000 mg kg ) TPPTS, which yields the hydrophilic 0x0 catalyst HRh(CO)[P(3-sulfophenyl-Na)3]3. The trisulfonation, in particular, permits the fine adjustment ofTPPTS and thus of the hydrophilic versus the hydrophobic properties hydrophilicity is ranked in the order TPP3 S TPPDS TPPMS, from the trisulfonated through to the monosulfonated species. 

The catalyst is not sensitive to sulfur or other oxo poisons, which is another environmental advantage. Together with the simple but effective decantation, which allows the withdrawal of organic and other byproducts at the very moment of separation, accumulation of activity-decreasing poisons in the catalyst solution is prevented. Therefore no special treatment or purification step is necessary. This reduces the environmental burden still further. For a considerable time the oxo units at Ruhrchemie s plant site were even supplied with syngas derived from coal produced by the TCGP (Ruhrchemie/Ruhrkohle s version of the Texaco coal gasification process). In various cases this can be an important factor as far as local resoruces are concerned. 

The high selectivity of the C3 conversion toward C4 products makes fractional distillation after aldehyde distillation unnecessary, reduces expenditure, and thus 

The RCH/RP process exhibits considerable improvements in respect of environmental conservation, conservation of resources, and minimization of pollution. 

This can be demonstrated by various criteria and proved very convincingly by means of Sheldon s environmental factor E [7], which is far more suitable and constructive than Trost s atom effiency [8]. Sheldon defined the E factor as the amoimt of waste produced per kilogram of product, and specified the E factor for every segment of industry (Table 1). 

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Based upon laboratory and mini- or pilot-plant experiments process flow-sheets are prepared that also take environmental and safety aspects into consideration. Studies on these aspects are carried out in parallel with chemistry and engineering research in the form of so-called Integrated Process Development (see Heinzle and Hungerbiihler, 1997). 

Although there are many biocide alternatives available on the market, for example enzyme technology or bio-dispersants, there appears to be a continued requirement for the use of biocides in order to reduce the levels of microbiological contamination entering the paper making process. The increased awareness of environmental and safety aspects will continue to play an important role on the selection of biocides for paper making processes. The use of legislation to select biocides must be done in parallel with each plants internal risk assessment. No one biocide active will meet all the criteria set out by different European countries and hence the use of these actives must be carefully assessed on a plant by plant basis. 

Heikkila et al. (1996) have expanded the work of Hurme and Jarvelainen (1995) with environmental and safety aspects (Fig. 11). The alternatives are simulated to determine the material and heat balances and to estimate the physical properties. Then the alternatives are assessed in economic terms for which the internal rate of return is used. The environmental effects are estimated by equivalent amount of pollutant that takes into consideration the harmfullness of the different effluent substances. With environmental risks are also considered aspects of occupational health to choose inherently healthier process. Even though most health related rules are considered later in the work instructions, health effects should also be a part of the decision procedure. The inherent safety is estimated in terms of the inherent safety index as described later. 

The safety evaluation can be seen as a part of the process synthesis which includes economical, environmental and safety aspects. Different process alternatives have to be compared based on all of these criterias. Problems of the preliminary safety evaluations arise from the lack of information. To solve this problem a dedicated methodology for preliminary inherent safety evaluations is required. 

This database includes information on all aspects of transportation in the United States, including environmental and safety aspects and transportation regulation. 

Jones, J. C., and Williams, A. Topics in Environmental and Safety Aspects of Combustion Technology. Scotland Whittles Publishing, 1997. 

JONES J.C., Environmental and safety aspects of combustion technologies, Whittles (1997). 

Tdnshoff HK, Eggerl R, Klockez F (1996) Environmental and safety aspects of electrophysical and electrochemical processes. CIRP Ann Manuf Technol 45(2) 553-568... 

Coal mining has always been, and remains, a dangerous occupation. Mine atmospheres are hazardous in terms of the health and safety of miners and, although technological advancements and legislation have led to improvement in the environmental and safety aspects in mines, pollutants are still produced at significant levels from coal excavation in both surface and underground mines. 

Extraction is often used in the fine-chemicals and biotechnology industry. Extraction technology has a number of distinct advantages (selectivity, capacity, robustness and good scalability), but an even longer list of disadvantages expensive solvent recovery, many practical problems such as emulsification and the mutual miscibility of solvent and water, solvent aging by oxidation and other chemical reactions, environmental and safety aspects because of toxicity, explo-sivity and flammability. 

Accardi, D.S., Bubbicoa, R., Di Palma, L., Pietrangeli, B., 2013. Environmental and safety aspects of integrated BioRefineries (IBR) in Italy. Chemical Engineering Transactions 32, 169-174. 

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