Sustainable industrial chemistry

Advanced catalysts for the photo- and electro-driven conversion of carbon dioxide and vater. 

Fuel cells, due to their higher efficiency in the conversion of chemical into electrical energy vhth respect to thermo-mechanical cycles, are another major area of R D that has emerged in the last decade. Their effective use, ho vever, still requires an intense effort to develop ne v materials and catalysts. Many relevant contributions from catalysis (increase in efficiency of the chemical to electrical energy conversion and the stability of operations, reduce costs of electrocatalysts) are necessary to make a step for vard in the application of fuel cells out of niche areas. This objective also requires the development of efficient fuel cells fuelled directly vith non-toxic liquid chemicals (ethanol, in particular, but also other chemicals such as ethylene glycol are possible). Together vith improvement in other fuel cell components (membranes, in particular), ethanol direct fuel cells require the development of ne v more active and stable electrocatalysts. 

Catalytic chemistry with fuel cells may be thus considered part of the general effort towards new delocalized chemical productions, because this approach is especially suited for SMEs. 

The above few examples (more are discussed later in this book) show that a very rapid change in priorities, methodologies and issues has occurred in chemistry over the last few years, driven by the fast evolving socio-economical context. There is thus the need to re-consider chemistry in the light of these changes, in addition to the motivations discussed before, for example, to re-address the topic from the point of view of sustainable industrial chemistry, the aim of this book. The present book 

---

Centi G, Trifiro F, Perathoner S, Cavani F. Sustainable Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim Wiley-YCH 2009. 

The F -Factory is not only a crucial step and a prerequisite for successful and competitive future processes in Europe and worldw ide, but is also the basis to implementing a new sustainable industrial chemistry. A major objective w ill be a substantial drop in capital expenditure for new plant and/or for retrofit of high-performance intensified devices into existing infrastructure. 

Although recently, various books have been published on green catalysis [12-16], often also with focus on catalysis, we consider this further book necessary focused in particular on highlighting the new vision for sustainable industrial chemistry, but complemented by a series of industrial examples that could be used either for educational purposes or as case histories. 

In addition, we may observe that the principles for green chemistry (see later) are of general validity, but their implementation was often questionable and/or with limited impact. We note, for example, that no relationship could be seen between the growing of publications on green chemistry (Figure 1.1.) and public perception of importance of chemistry (Figure 1.3). This is more evidence as to why a further step is necessary, for example, to pass from green to sustainable industrial chemistry. 

As mentioned before, scaling-down chemical processes and making them modular is an essential element for a new vision of sustainable industrial chemistry. 

From Green to Sustainable Industrial Chemistry Table 1.5 Comparison between DMC- and phosgene- or dimethyl sulfate (DMS)-based reactions. Source Tundo [75]. ... 

Phosgene substitution is thus an emblematic case for sustainable industrial chemistry and how this question should be considered in view of a rational risk assessment more than on generic principles. Phosgene is still central to the... 

However, global competiveness and market should be considered. This is the real barrier for a more sustainable industrial chemistry. Therefore, the real step forward could derive only when the product value of chemical compounds also includes components related to the process of production, its impact on environment and safety of operations. We live in a global world, not only economically but also environmentally, where the impact of industrial production and human activities is no longer on a local scale. The value of products should thus not be related only to the local cost of production, which hides part of the effective costs (for the environment, for example, or for society, when risk is too high). It is thus necessary to adopt transparent procedures where cost is not only determined from the market but also includes the production procedures. This concept of traceability of chemical products is one of the concepts around which the new REACH legislation was built. The next section discusses in more detail this legislation, because it is an important component for the sustainability of chemistry and industrial chemical production not only inside Europe. 

Process safety, a discipline that focuses on the prevention of fires, explosions and accidental chemical releases at chemical process facilities, is a key element for a sustainable industrial chemistry, as indicated in the previous sections. There are three key elements for process safety behavior, system and process. 

The lAP also contains an introduction to three visionary projects that will practically demonstrate the benefits and impact on daily life of the sustainable industrial chemistry (i) the Smart Energy Home, (ii) the Integrated Biorefinery, and (iii) the F Factory the latter has already been discussed in this chapter. 

---