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We live in chemophobic times: The media and general public view
chemicals as enemies of theenvironment. But this perspective is
flawed because it overlooks the essential role of chemicals -
particularly specialty chemicals - as enablers of sustainable
development.
Produced responsibly - as the vast majority of chemicals are -
specialty chemicals and polymers support key sustainable
development goals, including clean water, clean energy, and the
preservation of life below water. They enable society to satisfy
its current needs without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own requirements.
Clean Water
Clean water is the foundation of a healthy society. But clean
water doesn't just happen. All water - even water from a pristine
mountain reservoir - requires treatment before it is suitable for
human consumption or industrial use. And water also requires
treatment after use so it can be safely returned to the
environment. Specialty chemicals - and specialty polymers in
particular - play important roles in a range of water treatment
processes (see Chart 1). These processes include drinking water
production, wastewater treatment, and industrial water treatment.
Specialty polymers:
Reduce turbidity and accelerate the settling of suspended
particulates in the production of potable water
Thicken and dewater sludge in wastewater treatment
Inhibit the formation of scale (mineral deposits) in boilers
and cooling towers
Worldwide consumption of specialty polymers in water treatment
exceeds one million metric (mm) tons per year. Polyacrylamide, the
largest volume water-soluble polymer used in water treatment, plays
important roles in drinking water production and wastewater
treatment. Polyacrylate, the second largest volume polymer,
prevents scale formation in industrial equipment. Quaternary
ammonium polymers and polyamines are used primarily in the
production of potable water.
Clean Energy
Wind is crucial to today's global energy market, and its
importance as source of clean, renewable energy continues to grow.
In 2010, wind made up less than 4% of global power capacity. In
2018, wind accounted for more than 8%.
The turbines that transform wind into clean electricity depend
on specialty materials. Each wind turbine incorporates 25 to 100
metric tons of specialty resins and reinforcements. Unsaturated
polyester resins, epoxy resins, glass fiber, and carbon fiber are
standard construction materials for wind turbine blades.
Size matters in wind energy. Turbine height, blade length, and
power output are increasing, and so is the amount of resin and
reinforcements required to produce a wind turbine. The largest
turbine blades in commercial production are more than 88 meters
long (about the length of a football field) and require more than
100 metric tons of resins and reinforcements.
Economics is driving this trend. Larger wind turbines are more
efficient, resulting in lower power generation costs. Energy from a
modern wind farm with large turbines is cost-competitive with
energy from conventional sources such as coal and natural gas.
Preserving Life Below Water
Nutrient pollution is the enemy of underwater life. Surplus
nutrients, typically nitrogen or phosphorus, lead to algae blooms
in lakes, rivers, and coastal waters. Excessive algae growth
creates dead zones - depleting oxygen and blocking sunlight from
underwater plants- making life below water untenable. Some algae
blooms also produce toxins that are harmful to humans.
Excess nutrients can come from many sources, including laundry
detergents. Traditionally, laundry detergents included phosphate
"builders" for improved performance, especially in hard water.
Phosphate builders are inexpensive and effective, but they also
serve as nutrients. In contrast, specialty chemical builders -
zeolites, citric acid, and polyacrylates - enhance detergent
performance without causing algae growth. These specialty chemicals
do everything that builders are supposed to do - soften water (by
sequestering calcium and magnesium ions), disperse dirt, and
prevent soil redeposition - without nourishing algae blooms.
Global consumption of zeolites, citric acid, and polyacrylates
in laundry detergents is about two mm tons per year. Developing
markets are driving demand growth for these specialty builders. In
contrast, demand for specialty builders in the mature markets of
North America, Western Europe, and Japan is expected to be flat, in
part because these regions are moving on to new and greener
formulations. Increasingly, mature markets are turning to liquid
and unit-dose formats instead of powder laundry detergents. The new
formats rely on greener builders, such as sodium gluconate and the
sodium salt of glutamic acid, N,N-diacetic acid (GLDA). These
chelating agents are both biodegradable and bio-based, as their raw
materials include glucose and glutamic acid, respectively.
Looking Ahead: Opportunities for Green
Innovation
Specialty chemicals may play an even larger role in sustainable
development in the future. Opportunities for green innovation are
substantial. Specialty chemicals are sold on the basis of
performance or function, not chemical composition. Consequently,
price is important but not imperative. In addition, specialty
chemicals are closer to the consumer than commodity chemicals.
Products that include "green" specialty chemicals can tap into
consumer interest in the environment and bio-based ingredients.
Paths to greener specialty chemicals include the use of:
Sustainably produced renewable feedstocks. In general,
bio-based materials have smaller carbon footprints
(cradle-to-factory-gate greenhouse gas emissions) than their
petrochemical counterparts. But there is a caveat: Feedstock
provenance matters. Land use changes can have a major negative
impact on carbon footprint. Specifically, the drainage and
deforestation of peatland to make way for oil palm plantations
increases the environmental burden of palm oil, palm kernel oil,
and their methyl ester derivatives. Because of land use change,
these materials have large positive carbon footprints. In contrast,
coconut oil and coconut methyl ester have negative carbon
footprints - that is, their production removes carbon dioxide from
the environment.
Biocatalysts and biotechnology. Biotechnology offers a
sustainable route to value-added products. A case in point is
stevia sweeteners. First-generation stevia sweeteners are extracted
from the leaves of the stevia plant. The extracts contain many
components but only traces of the best tasting sweeteners.
Next-generation stevia sweeteners (such as Reb M and Reb D) are
produced from corn or sugarcane by yeast fermentation. Reb M and
Reb D are intensely sweet with zero calories and no aftertaste.
They show great promise as sugar replacements in soft drinks and
other beverages.
Waste materials as feedstocks. Using waste materials as
feedstocks supports the circular economy by recycling "waste" into
useful products. Examples of specialty chemicals that can be
produced from waste materials include polyols from waste gas (such
as flue gas from steel mills and off gases from refineries);
furfural from biomass (such as corn stover, corn cobs, and
sugarcane bagasse); and polyhydroxyalkanoates - biodegradable
polymers - from biogas (through anaerobic digestion).
Sustainable development matters. To paraphrase Moses Henry Cass:
We have not inherited this planet from our parents - we have
borrowed it from our children. Specialty chemicals can help us
preserve this world for future generations.