Laptop with Biodegradable Chassis

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Laptop with Biodegradable Chassis

• By Kristopher Just

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Concept of Green Chemistry Task 1

• Concept of green chemistry
• 12 principles of green chemistry explained

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What is the concept of Green Chemistry?

• Green Chemistry is the application of 12
  principles aiming to reduce the use and
  generation of hazardous substances during the use
  and application of chemical products.
• Green Chemistry also aims to protect the
  environment not by cleaning it up but by not
  creating a mess in the first place.

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12 Principles of Green Chemistry Explained

• 1. Prevent waste
• The 1st principle mainly applies for chemists to
  design safer chemical transformations to minimize
  the hazardous wastes that are emitted into the
  environment. It is better and easier to not
  create waste then to have to clean it up later
  in the process while it may have already caused
  damage to the environment, humans and/or
  wildlife.
• 2. Design safer chemicals
• This principle is aimed at designing products
  that are safe, non-toxic and efficient.
• 3. Find safer ways to make synthetic products
• This principle is focused on how we make
  molecules and materials. The goal is to reduce
  the hazard of the chemicals that are used to
  make a product
• 4. Maximise atom economy
• This principle states that it is best to use all
  the atoms in a process and, and for those atoms
  that are not used end up as waste. There are
  atom economy calculations that are used to
  estimate how many atoms are needed to try and
  prevent the waste.

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12 Principles of Green Chemistry Explained

• 5. Use safer solvents
• This principle focuses on creating products so
  that they use less hazardous solvents (such as
  water). We use solvents regularly in our daily
  lives (cleaning products, nail polish, cosmetics,
  etc.) and in the chemistry laboratory, so it is
  important that they dont cause harm to our body.
  
• 6. Use renewable reactants
• This principle seeks to shift our dependence on
  petroleum and to make products from renewable
  materials that can be gathered and/or harvested
  locally.
• 7. Maximise energy efficiency
• This principle focuses on creating products and
  materials in a highly efficient manner and
  reducing the energy associated with creating the
  products, therefore reducing associated pollution
  and cost.
• 8. Avoid chemical derivatives
• This principle aims to simplify the process and
  to look at natural systems in order to design
  products in a simplified manner.

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12 Principles of Green Chemistry Explained

• 9. Use catalysts whenever possible
• In a chemical process catalysts are used in
  order to reduce energy requirements and to make
  reactions happen more efficiently in speed
  (time). Another benefit of using a catalyst is
  that generally small amounts are required to
  have an effect and, if the catalyst is truly a
  green catalyst it will have little to no
  toxicity and it will be able to be used
  over-and-over again in the process.
• 10. Design biodegradable products
• This principle seeks to design products in such
  a way so that they perform their intended
  function and then, when appropriate, will
  degrade into safe, harmless by-products when they
  are disposed of.
• 11. Use real-time analysis to prevent pollution
• This process is similar to what chemists have
  to do when they make products. How long do they
  allow the reaction to run for? When do they know
  it will be done? If there was a way to see inside
  the reaction and to know exactly when it would
  be done, then this would reduce waste in the
  process and ensure that your product is done and
  is the right product that you intended to make.
• 12. Minimise the potential for accidents
• This principle focuses on safety for the
  worker and the surrounding community where an
  industry resides. It is better to use materials
  and chemicals that will not explode, light on
  fire, ignite in air, etc. when making a product.
  When creating products, it is best to avoid
  highly reactive chemicals that have potential to
  result in accidents.

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A brief explanation of exactly how the company
or organization used Green Chemistry.

• Fujitsu have made a biodegradable notebook,
  called the Fujitsu LifeBook. Instead of using
  plastics made from petroleum they have made
  chassis (the main framework) derived from
  cornstarch. However this method does cost a lot
  more than the petroleum plastic, but the Earth
  benefits from the cornstarch and that is one of
  the main goals of green chemistry.

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How Green Chemistry was used by the company or
organization. (Which principles apply to this
design).

• Green Chemistry was used by the following ways
• Principle 2 Designing safer chemicals. Fujitsu
  is doing this by using natural products,
  (cornstarch) to make the plastic, instead of
  using products that arent natural such as
  petroleum.
• Principle 3 Finding a safer way to make
  synthetic products. Fujitsu is doing this by
  using plastics derived from cornstarch instead of
  petroleum plastics. Minimizing the toxic
  chemicals produced.
• Principle 10 Fujitsu have designed a
  biodegradable product that will break down 80 or
  more in 21 days.

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The benefits to the company and to the
environment that arose from the Green Chemistry
initiative.

• Fujitsu benefits from making natural,
  biodegradable products like the LifeBook in ways
  such as they are recognized as a company that is
  taking action to help save our planet from
  pollution.
• It is also a lot safer for their employers due
  to the natural products minimizing the toxic
  chemicals produced.

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Bibliography

• Book Science Dimensions 4
• Date accessed 27/07/2012
• Website http//www.dtsc.ca.gov/PollutionPreventio
  n/GreenChemistryInitiative/upload/FAQs_greenchem.p
  df
• Date accessed 27/07/2012
• Website http//www.pcworld.com/article/136247/fuj
  itsu_laptop_with_biodegradable_chassis.html
• Date accessed 27/07/2012
• Website http//www.ias.ac.in/0890B4A6-5234-4944-9
  233-1F15F2E94CD9/FinalDownload/DownloadId-2005D995
  EFD2BBBA054D7779E630401C/0890B4A6-5234-4944-9233-1
  F15F2E94CD9/resonance/November2008/p1041-1048.pdf
  
• Date accessed 2/08/2012
• Website http//www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/pubs/ab
  out_gc.html
• Date accessed 2/08/2012
• Website http//greenchem.uoregon.edu/Pages/GreenC
  hemGlossary.php
• Date accessed 2/08/2012
• Website http//news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-97618
  53-1.html

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Bibliography

• Website http//www.epa.gov/sciencematters/june201
  1/principles.htm
• Date accessed 9/08/2012