Green Chemistry
Brings Sustainable Products to the Marketplace

In simple terms, the principle of sustainability states that today’s pursuit of economic prosperity and growth must not compromise tomorrow’s quality of life. For corporations, seeking sustainability requires understanding the “triple bottom line” – the economic, environmental, and social implications of their products and processes. It involves designing products with a full awareness of their life cycle costs and benefits, and seeking technologies that deliver greater value with fewer resources. The challenges of sustainability can be met through a combination of green chemistry and life cycle management.

Green Chemistry
Green chemistry is the discovery of novel methods for producing environmentally benign chemicals with attractive economics and performance. Battelle’s Polymer Center works with the specialty chemical industry to commercialize high-value chemical products and new application technologies that have reduced environmental impact. For example, Battelle is investigating an environmentally compatible, soybean oil-derived plasticizer for use in the processing of polyvinyl chloride resin in order to replace petroleum-derived products.

Battelle’s multidisciplinary staff has developed novel products for applications such as adhesives, electronic chemicals, paints and coatings. The staff has also worked on inks and toners, cellulose-based products, packaging, and composite materials. In addition to polymer chemistry and product development, the Center offers product evaluation and business support, including market assessment, intellectual property licensing, and limited-run production.

Life Cycle Management
Life cycle management enables companies to implement sustainable technologies and practices through a fuller understanding of the product life cycle, from design to disposition. By incorporating life cycle thinking into the decision-making process, companies can create value through reduced cost of ownership, faster product development, improved asset utilization, simplified regulatory compliance, and enhanced stakeholder confidence.

Battelle helps clients translate vision into action by improving both their products and their core business processes. Sustainable product design must be an integral part of a multi-faceted approach that considers cost, ease of use, functional performance, manufacturability, and other key product requirements. The integration of sustainability concepts into the product development process may involve changes in product development, facility operations, supplier and customer relations, supply chain management, stakeholder communication, and performance measurement.

Sustainable Products
Recently, Battelle has focused on developing economically attractive polymer products based on renewable feedstock derived from plant sources such as soybeans. Advances in plant genomics and genetic engineering offer new paths for developing commercially viable products. Some examples of Battelle’s achievements are:

• A soy-based wood adhesive that performs better than current adhesives, is less expensive, and will reduce energy costs;
• Readily de-inkable toner technology based on soy resins, addressing a growing need in the manufacture of secondary fiber from office waste;
• Lactide polymer production from fermentation processes for use in the manufacture of biodegradable polymers;
• Soyl™, a biodegradable, water-based industrial hand cleaner that is finding excellent penetration in the marketplace as a “green” substitute for chlorinated solvent-based cleaners.

Through its work with industrial clients and partners, Battelle is helping to bring environmentally benign products to the marketplace, thereby improving the quality of life for the generations of today and tomorrow.

For more information, please contact: Life Cycle Management, Joseph Fiksel at (614) 424-5730 or via e-mail at fiksel@battelle.org; Battelle Polymer Center, Bhima Vijayendran at (614) 424-5741 or via e-mail at vijayenb@battelle.org.