Green Chemistry

"preventing pollution on the molecular level"

CHEM 409-S07

Green Chemistry
Green Chemistry is the utilization of a set
of principles that reduces or eliminates
the use of, or generation of hazardous
substances in the design, manufacture
and application of chemical products
Green chemistry considers the
environmental impact of a process at the
earliest stages of innovation and
invention

Green Chemistry
Environmentally benign alternative
technologies can be economically superior
and function as well as, or better than more
toxic traditional options
Given a choice between traditional options
and green solutions, business leaders
choose responsibly

12 Principles of Green Chemistry

These guiding principles were developed by
Paul Anastas and John C. Warner

Industrial processes are designed to:

maximize the yield of the process
use safe, environmentally benign chemicals
be energy efficient processes
not create any waste

12 Principles of Green Chemistry

1. Prevent waste
2. Design safer chemicals and products
3. Design less hazardous chemical
syntheses

12 Principles of Green Chemistry

4. Use renewable feedstock

5. Use catalysts, not stoichiometric
reagents
6. Avoid chemical derivatives

12 Principles of Green Chemistry

7. Maximize atom economy
8. Use safer solvents and reaction
conditions
9. Increase energy efficiency

12 Principles of Green Chemistry

10. Design chemicals and products to
degrade after use
11. Analyze in real time to prevent pollution
12. Minimize the potential for accidents

E- Factors and Atom Efficiency

There are two generally accepted
measures of the (potential) environmental
acceptability of chemical processes:
The E-factor - defined as the mass ratio of
waste to desired product,
The atom efficiency - calculated by dividing
the molecular weight of the desired product by
the sum of the molecular weights of all
substances produced in the stoichiometric
equation

E- Factors and Atom Efficiency

Typical E-factors in the chemical industry:
Industry segment Product Tonnage E-Factor
(kg waste/kg product)

Oil refining
Bulk chemicals
Fine chemicals
Pharmaceuticals

106108
104106
102104
10103

<0.1
<15
550
25100

Give examples of reactions to show E-factor

and atom efficiency:

NOT Efficient !!!

19th century organic chemistry production
of phloroglucinol
Process generated 40 kg of solid waste
containing Cr2(SO4)3, NH4Cl, FeCl2 and
KHSO4 for every 1 kg of phloroglucinol
E-Factor = 40

Efficient

E-Factor for first two examples = zero

Sometimes water is not considered waste

Ethylene Oxide Production and

Atom Efficiency
Old Process

20 %
New Process

100 %

Waste
Beyond the quantity of waste, it is also
important to consider its environmental
impact
The term environmental quotient (EQ) is
obtained by multiplying the E-factor with
an arbitrarily assigned unfriendliness
quotient (Q)
For example, a Q value of 1 to NaCl, and
1001000 to a heavy metal salt such as
chromium