green chemistry awards

1. Green Chemistry Awards

3. Davy Process Technology for Ethyl Acetate production Ethyl Acetate Davy Process Technology has developed a process that enables ethyl acetate and a valuable hydrogen by-product stream to be produced directly from ethanol.  The process takes advantage of the current industrial focus on renewable resources and the expansion in fermentation ethanol production and breaks the feedstock link to volatile oil prices.

4. UK AWARDS FOR GREEN CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGYEDDS a Readily Biodegradable Chelant that can directly replace EDTA and phosphonates EDDS A Biodegradable Alternative EDDS (EthyleneDiamineDiSuccinate) (Figure 1) is a naturally occurring chelant2 and is a structural isomer of EDTA that possesses two chiral centres that are the key to its’ biodegradability. EDDS consists of two aspartic acid units linked by an ethylene bridge and can exist as four stereoisomers. The only stereoisomer that is readily biodegradable3 is the S,S form that is based on the naturally occurring amino acid L-aspartic acid (Figure 2).

5. UK AWARDS FOR GREEN CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGYEDDS a Readily Biodegradable Chelant that can directly replace EDTA and phosphonates Chelating performance EDTA and phosphonates are very effective chelants that form stable complexes with a range of transition metals. EDDS and other biodegradable chelants have to match this performance in the end application and the particular combination of metals. As illustrated (Figure 3), EDDS is more effective at chelating transition metals like iron, copper and zinc than with alkali metals like calcium and magnesium. This means that EDDS is preferred where selective chelation of transition metals is required in the presence of alkali metals. As metals are present in varying amounts in different applications it means that research is required on each system to find the optimum conditions.

6. UK AWARDS FOR GREEN CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGYEDDS a Readily Biodegradable Chelant that can directly replace EDTA and phosphonates Domestic Applications In domestic applications, all the chelants are disposed via the drains to the sewage system and then into watercourses. As EDTA is not biodegraded in municipal waste plants, it all ends up in the water system. For this reason there are concerns about the domestic use of EDTA. EDDS in contrast is completely biodegraded/mineralised to carbon dioxide, water and nitrates in the waste plant. UK AWARDS FOR GREEN CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY Octel Performance Chemicals Page 6 of 10 UK GCT Awards Ver 1 Laundry Detergents A solution of the tri-sodium salt of EDDS under the name Octaquest® E30 was initially developed for the laundry detergent market. This has been used to replace phosphonates in this market. It has successfully been used since launch in 1996 and in 2002, the plant passed the cumulative total of 10,000 tonnes produced - a significant milestone for any chemicals’ production. EDTA is no longer used for domestic laundry detergents in Western Europe, though it is present in other household detergents and 2,619 tonnes1 were used in 1999. Hard Surface Cleaners EDTA is widely used in household, institutional and industrial cleaners 10,685 tonnes1 of EDTA were used in this market in 1999. Octaquest® E30 was commercialised into this market during 2002 with product launches in the Nordic area.

7. UK AWARDS FOR GREEN CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGYEDDS a Readily Biodegradable Chelant that can directly replace EDTA and phosphonates Personal Care EDTA is extensively used in the personal care industry and can be found on the ingredient list on many personal care product bottles. 756 tonnes1 of EDTA were used in 1999. All the ingredients from these products ultimately end up in the environment through the drain and sewage system. EDDS ability to chelate with transition metal ions means that it is particularly suitable for stabilising peroxide solutions for hair products. Transition metals can also catalyse the oxidation of olefins leading to rancid smells and discoloration that can be prevented by the use of chelates. Octaquest® E30 was commercialised with shampoo formulators in Europe during 2000 and new customers are coming on stream. EDDS acts as a potentiator for many common biocides used in personal care. EDDS significantly enhances the effectiveness of biocides and can lead to reductions in MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) of over 90%. This has the potential to significantly reduce the levels of biocides used in personal care products and the amounts of biocide released into the environment