Green chemistry innovations

Undergraduate Video Green Chemistry - Innovations for a Cleaner World Companion American Chemical Society Kathryn Parent... 

Clark, J.H. (2005) Basic principles of green chemistry. Innov. Pharm. Technol, 16, 94-97. 

Weise, E. Green Chemistry Innovations for a Cleaner World (2000) (23)... 

Remaking the Way We Make Products Improving the Paper Bleaching Process The Environmental Impact of Paper Processing Green Chemistry Innovations Petroleum Dependent Development The Unique Problem of the Petro-State... 

One concern that has been expressed by critics of green chemistry is that it is soft chemistry and not rigorous. On the contrary, green chemistry innovations must be subject to rigorous scrutiny if they are to succeed and stand the test of time. The principles of science underlying traditional chemistry are exactly the same for green chemistry. 

As much as it is a key in achieving economic objectives, catalysis is also a powerful tool in realizing the goals of green chemistry. Innovation in the field of catalysis is driven by both profit motives and efforts to make more eco-efficient processes. Most often profits are markedly improved with the development of green processes. An important concept of green chemistry that can be addressed by the use of catalysis is atom-efficiency, also known as atom-economy. 

By focusing primarily on tangible case studies, we describe here the green chemistry innovations implemented by each company or facility. Where possible, we include details comparing the new... 

Both approaches are useful and they are also complementary because it is important to know where a chemical that may be best in its class falls out with respect to hazard. For example, a surfactant that is best in its class will be rapidly biodegradable, but most surfactants have some aquatic toxicity because they are surface active. However, surfactants as a class are typically close to the green end of the hazard spectrum because they tend to have low hazard ratings for most other endpoints. It is also possible to have chemicals that are best in their class but that are still problematic. For example, some dioxin congeners are less toxic than others but one would not presume that a dioxin congener that is best in its class is green . Concurrent use of the best in class approach with the absence of hazard approach is also important because it drives continual advancement within a class toward the ideal green chemistry. Once innovation occurs and a chemical or product is developed that meets the same or better performance criteria with lower hazard, what was once considered best in class shifts. 

Eliminating chemicals of concern can lead a company to become more proactive by creating demand for greener alternatives and by positively defining chemicals. While it may appear at first to be restrictive in terms of disallowing chemicals, in practice it tends to drive innovation and lead to the development of new chemicals and products - part of what makes green chemistry so attractive to people of widely divergent views. 

Wilson, M.P. (2006) Green Chemistry in California A Framework for Leadership in Chemicals Policy and Innovation. Prepared for California Senate Environmental Quality Committee and the... 

To overcome health and environmental problems at the source, the chemical industry must develop cleaner chemical processes by the design of innovative and environmentally benign chemical reactions. Green chemistry offers the tools for this approach. ... 

The chemical industry is often the strongest link in the supply chain since they provide the chemical formulations to their buyers and are in control of research into alternatives. The recent emergence of Green Chemistry and its 12 criteria has spurred innovation into safer chemicals. A few examples illustrate the progress taking place and suggest a wider potential for innovation should more market demand for safer chemicals occur. 

Green Ghemistry Innovations for a Cleaner World—k companion video to Real-World Cases in Green Chemistry ... 

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