industry and environment - DTIE

Chemicals management
Aliphatic
compound
Styrene
Butadeine
Other
compounds
Energy
Mixing
Heating
Vapours
venting
Reaction
Wastewater
with
aromatic
This business case (described in greater detail
below) lasted almost a year, involving continuous
interaction with the researcher, sharing of technical
information and making her more aware of
environmental considerations.
Business case: solvent-based adhesives
Solvent-based adhesives are solvent and resin mixtures
that harden as the solvent evaporates. The
use of polyurethanes in adhesives has several
advantages, such as good adhesion to metal and
or to paper sheets and heat resistance.
Most adhesives, including polyurethane ones,
are formulated with some solvents, either VOCs
(volatile organic compounds) or HAPs (hazardous
air pollutants). The most common solvents used
in formulating adhesives are hexane, methylethylcetone,
phenol, toluene, xylenes and thinner.
Worldwide regulatory requirements are leading
to the substitution of a number of chemicals. In
the case of adhesives, one option is to use less of
these products. Another is to find alternate solvents
not included on the list of VOCs or HAPs. 2
In the United States, the DfE Adhesives Technologies
Partnership Program looks for solvents
or alternate technologies that could be developed
for the purpose of mitigating health and environmental
impacts resulting from these products’
use. 3
Work consisted of characterizing the materials
currently being used and identifying replacements
if necessary. In this instance, removal of a toxic
aromatic compound was proposed.
Figure 2
Flow chart: modified rubber
Oxidizing
compound
Liquid
rubber
Energy
Mixing
Heating
Modification
Water
Modified
rubber
Energy
Mixing
Heating
Other
compounds
Coagulation
(washing and
drying)
Aliphatic
compound
Inorganic
compound
Solid
rubber
■ Evaluated elements
Social aspects
Social aspects were:
◆ reduction of chronic exposure to personnel;
◆ elimination of community risks related to transport
of the solvent;
◆ development of a product for consumption by
children that is free of toxic compounds.
Product profitability
Both the solvent and the replacement material are
imported. The cost of the replacement material
was much lower; forming links with the new foreign
supplier had economic benefits.
Capitalizing on experience for use in
education
Conclusions reached for this stage are:
◆ The major difficulty with incorporating DfE in
◆ Environmental impact
◆ Disposal cost
Disposal
Recycling
Remanufacturing
Figure 3
Product life cycle
Raw material
extraction
researchers’ work is that their paradigm of thinking
in terms of product performance alone has to
be changed. Making researchers aware of the life
cycle concept is a good way to encourage them to
broaden their vision of new product design;
◆ At the beginning, researchers refused to recognize
the value added by DfE. It was eventually
implemented as a result of their own convictions;
◆ Thinking environmentally added to the difficulty
of researchers’ work at first, but they came
to feel satisfied about the product’s more comprehensive
design.
When researchers allow themselves to seek
alternatives, these alternatives can be found. First
of all, however, they must be convinced that there
is such a need, and this may take months.
Third stage: Progressive DFE
implementation
In the third stage, two ongoing technological projects
were chosen: one in the pilot phase (Figure
2) and the other in the commercial phase.
In accordance with the outcome of the second
stage, where the need to educate people about
DfE was identified, the strategy chosen was to
appoint a DfE-trained engineer to follow the
researchers closely in their tasks and to identify
environmental opportunities. Working from the
standpoint of the product’s life cycle (Figure 3)
was a novelty for the researchers.
The most difficult barrier to overcome in constructing
a bridge for communication between
researchers and the DfE advisor was the
researchers’ feeling of ownership of their work.
Communication slowly began to flow once the
researchers recognized that DfE could enrich what
they do. At the end of this stage, the advisor was
required for many more tasks, not only those
◆ Efficiency of transforming
resources
◆ Emissions, energy, air,
water and soil
◆ Impact on surroundings
◆ Use of renewable and
non-renewable resources
◆ Impact on surroundings
(environmental, social and
economic)
Manufacture
Environmental and safety benefits
The environmental and safety benefits of using a
different material were:
◆ reduction in the pollution burden on subsoil
due to waste from the manufacturing process, as
well as to the packaging in which solvent is marketed,
as toxic waste disposal (including the containers)
is to landfill;
◆ not increasing generation of photochemical
smog; elimination of emissions of organic vapour;
◆ improved product safety, eliminating the risk to
the user arising from vapour emissions of residual
solvent.
◆ Product risks
◆ Economic value
Reuse
Use
◆ Risks en route:
community,
environment,
facilities
◆ Economic impact
◆ Risks for community,
environment and facilities
◆ Economic assessment
of the above
Transportation
UNEP Industry and Environment April – September 2004 ◆ 49