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Why go green?. It was simply the
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1. “Green” Chemistry and Engineering
Justin Barone
jbarone@vt.edu
http://renewablemat.bse.vt.edu
2. Why go green? It was simply the “right thing to do” because environmental pollution became hazardous to our health!
If there was not a saleable component, industry did not care.
Until what happened?
3. It became costly to not be green… These chemicals are carcinogens, or act as endocrine disrupters, etc. These chemicals are carcinogens, or act as endocrine disrupters, etc.
4. …and the price of petroleum sky-rocketed This is the big one. Laws can always be written to still make harmful stuff. Deflation is probably killing the green movement right now. But will be back.This is the big one. Laws can always be written to still make harmful stuff. Deflation is probably killing the green movement right now. But will be back.
5. There are many ways to be “green” Increase energy efficiency a few percent
Completely rid yourself of petroleum
Completely rid yourself of fossil fuel feedstocks
What else can we use?
6. Petroleum comes from biomass, we just want to cheat a millennium of processing.Petroleum comes from biomass, we just want to cheat a millennium of processing.
8. “Rules” Bio-based sources that are not food or fuel or else you are out
25-37oC and H2O: no heat, pressure, or solvents
Biological processing
Biodegrade to CO2 and other small molecules
9. Back to our first examples… Phthalates
Phenol-formaldehyde
Bisphenol-A
10. PLA: Polylactic Acid
11. PHA: Polyhydroxyalkanoates
12. Epoxies from Fats
13. Protein-Based Materials
15. PLA vs. Petroleum-based Polymers