SCH 3U- GREEN CHEMISTRY

DEFINITION
Green Chemistry is the utilisation of a set of principles that reduces or eliminates the
use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture and
application of chemical products.
A manufacturing process is changed so it is less harmful to the environment.

GREEN CHEMISTRY IS ABOUT

• Use of Renewable Resources

• Use of Catalysts To Increase Reaction Efficiency

• Use of Chemicals That Have Less Environmental Impact

• Use Less Energy

• Minimizing Waste
Green Chemistry Is About...
Waste

Materials
Hazard

Risk

Energy

Cost
 Why do we need Green Chemistry ?

• Chemistry is undeniably a very prominent part of our daily

lives.

• Chemical developments also bring new environmental

problems and harmful unexpected side effects, which
result in the need for ‘greener’ chemical products.

• A famous example is the pesticide DDT.

• Green chemistry looks at pollution prevention on the molecular scale
and is an extremely important area of Chemistry due to the importance
of Chemistry in our world today and the implications it can show on
our environment.

• The Green Chemistry program supports the invention of more

environmentally friendly chemical processes which reduce or even
eliminate the generation of hazardous substances.

• This program works very closely with the main principles of Green
Chemistry.
 The Five Major Principles of Green Chemistry

1. Use Renewable Resources as Starting Materials

- Many manufacturing processes are well established and accepted, but it is worthwhile to
look for a better starting material.

- The plastic industry as an example is considering new options. Adipic Acid which is a
benzene derivative is a key ingredient in making plastics like nylon and polyurethane.
Benzene is derived from oil, a cancer-causing substance and non-renewable.

- Glucose can be made from renewable resources such as starch from food crops. There is
still concern about the use of land and possible increase in food costs.

- Use less plastic?????

 “A raw material of feedstock should be
renewable
rather than depleting wherever technically
and
economically practical”
Non-renewable Renewable
 Resource Depletion
• Renewable resources can be made
increasingly viable technologically
and economically through green
chemistry.

Biomass Carbondioxide
Nanoscience

Solar Waste utilization

Poly lactic acid (PLA) for plastics production
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA’s)
 The Five Major Principles of Green Chemistry

2. Use Chemicals With Less Environmental Impact

- Polystyrene (Styrofoam) is used for cups and packing materials. Liquid polystyrene is
injected into a mould and then a gas is injected to expand the material to the shape of the
mould.

- CFC’s were used previously, but it was found that CFC’s escape into the atmosphere and
breakdown ozone. Wide-scale use of CFC’s lead to a thinning of the ozone layer.

- Chemists at DOW manufacturing in the 1990’s used carbon dioxide as the expanding
agent instead of CFC’s. It was cheaper, non-flammable (safer for worker) and less
harmful for the environment. CO2 is a greenhouse gas, so the process is not totally
benign.
 The Five Major Principles of Green Chemistry

3. Use Catalysts To Increase Reaction Efficiency

- Catalysts make reactions go faster and are not consumed in the reaction, therefore it can
be used over and over again.

- Sulfuric acid, H2SO4(aq) is an important chemical made with a catalyst of vanadium

oxide, V2O5.

- Pure Sulfur is converted to sulfuric acid in a three step process.

(i) Sulfur is burned to produce sulfur dioxide
(ii) Sulfur dioxide is converted to sulfur trioxide *** very slow. The vanadium catalyst is
used to speed up this step.
(iii) Sulfur trioxide mixes with water to produce sulfuric acid.
 The Five Major Principles of Green Chemistry

4. Use Less Energy

- Many manufacturing industries use a lot of energy which is financially and
environmentally costly. The steel industry is very energy intensive

- Updating equipment like the use of more efficient blast furnaces reduces energy
costs. Smaller amounts of fossil fuels are used in the process and less pollutants
result. The initial cost of new equipment can be offset by greater production and
less materials used.

- Companies can also use less energy by changing the process itself or using
different materials to result in energy savings and less pollutants.
 The Five Major Principles of Green Chemistry

5. Minimize Waste
- Lead and sulfuric acid in car batteries are hazardous. A Canadian battery
recycler has developed a “closed loop” process so that old batteries go in; clean,
recycled materials come out.

- There are only a few places in the process open to the atmosphere, but exhaust
hoods are used to collect dust and vapour and return it to the process.

- The “closed loop” process prevents hazardous materials from escaping into the
environment. This results in less waster, safer working conditions, and a cleaner
environment. Worker productivity increases and waste clean-up cost decrease.
“It is better to prevent waste than to
treat or clean
up waste after it is formed”

Chemical
Process
“Energy requirements should be recognized for
their environmental impacts and should be
minimized.
Synthetic methods should be conducted at
ambient
pressure and temperature”
 The major uses of GREEN CHEMISTRY

• Energy
• Global Change
• Resource Depletion
• Food Supply
• Toxics in the Environment
 Energy
The vast majority of the energy
generated in the world today is
from non-renewable sources that
damage the environment.
 Carbon dioxide
 Depletion of Ozone layer
 Effects of mining, drilling, etc
 Toxics
 Energy
 Green Chemistry will be essential in
 developing the alternatives for energy
generation (photovoltaics, hydrogen, fuel
cells, biobased fuels, etc.) as well as
 continue the path toward energy efficiency
with catalysis and product design at the
forefront.
 Global Change
 Concerns for climate change,
oceanic temperature, stratospheric
chemistry and global distillation can
be addressed through the
development and implementation of
green chemistry technologies.
 Resource Depletion

Due to the over utilization of non-

renewable resources, natural
resources are being depleted at an
unsustainable rate.
Fossil fuels are a central issue.
 Resource Depletion

 Renewable resources can be made

increasingly viable technologically and
economically through green chemistry.
 Biomass
 Nanoscience & technology
 Solar
 Carbon dioxide
 Chitin
 Waste utilization
 Food Supply
 While current food levels are sufficient,
distribution is inadequate
 Agricultural methods are unsustainable
 Future food production intensity is
needed.
 Green chemistry can address many
food supply issues
 Food Supply
Green chemistry is developing:
 Pesticides which only affect target
organisms and degrade to non-
harming by-products.
 Fertilizers that are designed to
minimize usage while maximizing
effectiveness.
 Methods of using agricultural wastes
for beneficial and profitable uses.
 Toxics in the Environment
 Substances that are toxic to humans,
the biosphere and all that sustains it,
are currently still being released at a
cost of life, health and sustainability.
 One of green chemistry’s greatest
strengths is the ability to design for
reduced hazard.
 Conclusion

Green chemistry Not a solution

to all environmental problems But
the most fundamental approach to
preventing pollution.
 Homework
- Apply the five principles of Green
Chemistry to the Pulp and Paper
Industry or another common
manufacturing industry in Canada