GREEN CHEMISTRY

Concept of Green Chemistry

• Green Chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. Often referred to as a form of molecular- level pollution prevention, Green Chemistry relies on a set of 12 principles that can be used to design or re-design molecules, materials and chemical transformations to be safer for human health and the environment.

12 Principles• Prevention

It is better to prevent waste than to treat or clean up waste after it has been created.• Atom Economy

Synthetic methods should be designed to maximize the incorporation of all materials used in the process into the final product.

• Less Hazardous Chemical SynthesesWherever practicable, synthetic methods should be designed to use and generate substances that possess little or no toxicity to human health and the environment.

• Designing Safer ChemicalsChemical products should be designed to effect their desired function while minimizing their toxicity.

• Safer Solvents and AuxiliariesThe use of auxiliary substances (e.g., solvents, separation agents, etc.) should be made unnecessary wherever possible and innocuous when used.

• Design for Energy EfficiencyEnergy requirements of chemical processes should be recognized for their environmental and economic impacts and should be minimized. If possible, synthetic methods should be conducted at ambient temperature and pressure.

12 Principles• Use of Renewable Feedstocks

A raw material or feedstock should be renewable rather than depleting whenever technically and economically practicable.

• Reduce DerivativesUnnecessary derivatization (use of blocking groups, protection/ deprotection, temporary modification of physical/chemical processes) should be minimized or avoided if possible, because such steps require additional reagents and can generate waste.

• CatalysisCatalytic reagents (as selective as possible) are superior to stoichiometric reagents.

• Design for DegradationChemical products should be designed so that at the end of their function they break down into innocuous degradation products and do not persist in the environment.

• Real-time analysis for Pollution PreventionAnalytical methodologies need to be further developed to allow for real-time, in-process monitoring and control prior to the formation of hazardous substances.

• Inherently Safer Chemistry for Accident PreventionSubstances and the form of a substance used in a chemical process should be chosen to minimize the potential for chemical accidents, including releases, explosions, and fires.

Case Study• A) Pyrocool fire suppression uses

green chemistry for its fire extinguishing foam that is nontoxic and highly biodegradable.

• B) Green Chemistry was used to have a nontoxic foam that is biodegradable and sufficient for all users.

• C) This chemical technology has benefitted fire fighting in a great way. Centuries ago fire fighters used there local water supply. Pyrocool had many opportunities with different chemicals but they could of given them long term environmental and health issues.

Bibliography• http://www.beyondbenign.org/greenchemistry/12principles.html• http://www.pyrocoolfiresuppression.com/pdf/green_chemistry.pdf• http://www.google.com.au/imgres?

q=pyrocool+foam&num=10&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=600&tbm=isch&tbnid=Qw4afZ01D3LOM:&imgrefurl=http://www.pyrocoolfiresuppression.com/&docid=l2tNZSo_ouFT0M&imgurl=http://www.pyrocoolfiresuppression.com/product-sm.jpg&w=250&h=631&ei=mUsmUJebOe6OiAfJjYGoBQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=214&vpy=66&dur=858&hovh=357&hovw=141&tx=97&ty=203&sig=109965360969820248930&page=1&tbnh=134&tbnw=53&start=0&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:76

• http://www.pyrocoolfiresuppression.com/• http://www.google.com.au/imgres?

q=green+chemistry&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4ADFA_enAU400AU401&biw=1280&bih=600&tbm=isch&tbnid=Y4lgSMx-nORSWM:&imgrefurl=http://www.greenchemistry.in/GreenChemistry-Definition.html&docid=Ng3sadtUd1R3ZM&imgurl=http://www.greenchemistry.in/images/globe-chemistry.jpg&w=250&h=416&ei=sk4mUPKaN6i1iQfa-4CwBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=669&vpy=126&dur=1372&hovh=290&hovw=174&tx=114&ty=177&sig=109965360969820248930&page=1&tbnh=116&tbnw=70&start=0&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0,i:99

• BY LAUREN DWYER