Greenchemistry CIC

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Greenchemistry CIC

• Professor James Clark
• University of York

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2nd Green Chemistry and the Consumer symposium
Greening the Supply Chain
FEEDSTOCKS
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Life Cycle for Supply Chain
E
C
E
C
E
E
C
E
Production
Manufacturing
End of Life
Feedstock
Retail
W
W
W
W
W
Refurbish
Remanufacture
Recycle
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The Green Chemistry the Consumer project

• New venture aimed at delivering knowledge and
  understanding of green chemistry to retailers
  consumers
• Covers all chemical-dependant consumer products
  including clothing, furnishing, electronic goods,
  personal care products and food
• Objectives
• to encourage direct involvement of the retail
  sector in green chemistry research
• to engage representatives from throughout the
  supply chain
• Main outputs
• Quarterly newsletter
• Current green chemical information that is
  comprehensible to a widely non-technical audience
• Annual events

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Highlights to date

• 1st symposium held in London in April 2003
• Sample issue produced and circulated to 200
  individuals and selected organisations
• Core sponsorship secured from the RSC, MS and
  GSK for forthcoming year
• Advisory committee established with
  representatives from core funders as well as the
  CIA and Greenpeace
• Positive feedback from The Rt Hon Alun Michael
  MP, the CIA, NFU, British Retail Consortium,
  Greenpeace and WWF as well the retail trade.

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Research areas relevant to consumer products
Packaging Plastics
Lubricants
Dyes Pigments
Solvents
Fragrances Perfumes
Pesticides
Adhesives
Food additives
Textiles Fabric Treatments
Electronics
Preservatives
Flame Retardants
Surfactants
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Highlights from the newsletter
Greener wood adhesives
The latest on the EUs proposed chemicals
legislation REACH
Polychromic plastics one chemical, many colours
WEEE and RoHS explained how Green Chemistry can
help
Stopping corrosion - naturally
Fluorine takes the fizz out of sparkling wine
Unwrapping the packaging options
Green dyeing in any colour
Wanted solutions and customers for UK farming
Corn cob packaging
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The New Green Chemistry CIC

• One of 6 CICs funded by Yorkshire Forward
• Hub at York University with Leeds and CSL as
  partners
• Goal Provide Industry with a flexible, reliable
  way to tap into University expertise to help
  improve their products and processes

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Green Chemistry CIC

• Projects managed via Commercial manager
• Senior researchers assigned specifically to work
  on the Projects
• An expert academic assigned to advise on
  Projects
• Pool of approx. 20 experts not just from
  Chemistry Depts, includes Chem.Eng. and
  Biochemistry

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Green Chemistry CICFacilities/Equipment

• The York Clean Technology Centre and the Leeds
  Cleaner synthesis group have modern labs and a
  wide range of equipment
• Additional facilities are available within the
  Universities (e.g. 25m SRIF Technologies
  Facilities York) and at CSL

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Green Chemistry CICServices based on expertise
in

• Chemical synthesis
• Catalysts, including biocatalysts
• Surface chemistry
• Alternative solvents
• Alternative reagents
• Analytical services
• Renewable raw materials
• Environmental Legislation

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Green Chemistry CICServices

• 3 Tier approach
• tier 1 short problem solving exercises to
  identify opportunities
• tier 2 short lab based studies (indication of
  feasibility)
• tier 3 longer lab based studies (demonstration
  of feasibility)

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Green Chemistry CIC Examples

• A Catalyst that cannot be reused - conditions
  found that allow limited re-use, longer term
  studies to find better catalyst
• An adhesive failing to stick properly-cause found
  and Company able to modify process
• Bromination processes using toxic/dangerous
  phosphorus - improved conditions found,
  demonstrated and incorporated by Company
• Chromium used for priming aluminium prior to
  bonding - investigations ongoing for replacement