Green Design Metrics

Waste Prevention Waste reduction is measured through atom economy, defined in Eq. (15.2) where is the mass of chemicals input to all reactions 

Material Efficiency The ability of a material to promote efficient use is measured through its density, which is reflected in the volumetric functional unit used for all assessments. Less dense materials are able to serve many purposes with less mass, thus a lower density plastic is more preferable. 

Avoidance of Hazardous Materials and Pollution The avoidance of hazardous materials and pollution is measured via an average of the normalized fife cycle impacts in TRACI categories of respiratory effects, human health cancer, human health noncancerous, and ecotoxicity [152]. 

Maximization of Energy Efficiency Overall energy efficiency was measured by the cumulative life cycle energy use found by the cumulative energy demand (CED) LCIA method. This energy demand includes all energy use in the production of the product, as well as any embedded energy in input materials 

A6 Anticipate other potential mass and energy transfer 

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Anastas, N.T., (2008) Incentives for using green chamistry and the presentation of an approach for green chemical design, In Green Chemistry Metrics (eds A. Lapkin and D.J.C. Constable) Blackwell, Oxford, 27 -0. 

Tabone MD, Cregg JJ, Beckman EJ, Landis AE. Sustainability metrics life cycle assessment and green design in polymers. Environ Sci Technol 2010 44 (21) 8264-8269. 

Table 15.3 summarizes previously pubUshed green design principles used in this study. Principles were reduced into themes that are quantitatively or quaUtatively evaluated by metrics. Table 15.4 fists each theme, each associated metric and specific principles associated with each theme/metric. The metrics from Table 15.4 were evaluated for each polymer in order to measure adherence to each design principle. 

A decision matrix was used to create two single value metrics for each polymer, one evaluating each polymer for life cycle environmental impacts and the other evaluating each polymer for adherence to green design principles. Results from both assessments were normalized to the average across aU polymers, shown in Eq. (15.3), where N- is the normalized value for polymer i in metric/impactj, V- is the... 

Tabone, M. D., J. J. Cregg, E. J. Beckman, and A. E. Landis. 2010. Sustainability Metrics Life Cycle Assessment and Green Design in Polymers. Environ. Sci. TechnoL, 44(21), 8264-8269. 

Progressing toward the goal of designing safer chemicals requires that the relative safety of chemicals can be compared so that a clear decision process can be identified. The metrics to accomplish this evaluation of the relative hazards of chemicals are well estabhshed but have not been applied to the field of green chemistry, specifically, designing safer chemicals. 

Any one individual is unlikely to possess sufficient knowledge in all areas of interest to identify key metrics so it should be common practice for green metrics to be developed drawing on the resources of cross-disciplinary teams. In addition, to truly drive the right direction towards the design of greener, safer processes, there is the need to resist the temptation of addressing metrics in a compartmentalized manner, as many of these metrics are interrelated. Finally, one should apply the 80/20 rule liberally that is do not strive for the perfect set of metrics that covers all situations if a few metrics meet your needs most of the time. 

The functional approach to products and processes, sometimes known as product design , or more specifically for this book green product design , has also been used as a basis for discussion of the different metrics approaches that stimulate R D and implementation of new concepts. 

At least one of the 12 principles—number 2, design safe products—is a must for pharmaceutical synthesis. Indeed, pharmaceutical products are regulated and tested for safety. Principle number 7, maximize atom economy, refers to a metric against which the greenness of a process may be evaluated. Green metrics are covered in the next section. 

Andraos, J. (2012) The Algebra of Organic Synthesis green metrics, design strategy, route selection, and optimization, CRC Press-Taylor Francis Boca Raton. 

Green Metrics, Design Strategy, Route Seiection, and Optimization... 

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