I&EC 206 |
| Kenneth Geiser, University of Mass., Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854 |
| Nanomanufacturing, materials processing at the nanoscale, offers an enormous range of commercial opportunities. Some of these applications will pose environmental hazards, while others will provide environmental benefits. For instance, nanoscale derived catalysts promise milder reaction conditions and higher product yields with less problematic wastes. Nanoclays can be used as additives in polymer compounding replacing halogens, lead and hazardous fire retardants. Water filtration with nanoscale membranes permits water purification without chlorine. Coatings based on nanoparticles offer opportunities for colored, scratch-resistant, non-stick surfaces that can be applied without the use of organic solvents or the emission of volatile compounds. The issue is not whether nanomanufacturing can reduce the environmental burdens of conventional processing, but, rather, how to encourage those initiatives that are cleaner and safer and discourage those that are not. The principles of green chemistry provide a reasonable litmus for determining those processes that provide benefits to the environment. However, these principles have not been adopted into the emerging practices of nanomanufacturing. Without more attention to environmental factors nanomanufacturing will underperform as a societal benefit. This paper will explore the possibilities of employing green chemistry principles and practices in designing nanomanufacturing innovations. |
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Nanotechnology and the Environment
8:30 AM-11:15 AM, Wednesday, March 31, 2004 Marriott -- Orange County 1, Oral
Division of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry |