Modern life depends on the petrochemical industry — most drugs, paints and plastics derive from oil. But current processes for making chemical products are not sustainable in terms of resources and environmental impact. Green chemistry aims to tackle this problem, and real progress is being made.
Why is chemical manufacture becoming unsustainable?
Can’t these problems be dealt with using existing technology?
What aspects of manufacturing does green chemistry address?
How can you tell if a chemical process is green?
Is it possible to quantify how green a process is?
So which manufacturing processes are currently the worst, according to their E-factors?
Can’t waste be completely eliminated from chemical processes?
Why not just replace all organic solvents with water?
What is so good about supercritical CO2? Wouldn’t its widespread use contribute to climate change?
Can any reactions be performed in green solvents that weren’t possible in traditional solvents?
Doesn’t chemical engineering have a role to play in green chemical processes?