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Greenlist(tm) Bulletin 8/27/04

Greenlist(tm) Bulletin 8/27/04

This is the weekly bulletin of the TURI Library, reporting a selection of recently published titles we have acquired. Our pledge is to keep the bulletin relevant to your work and brief -- no more than 10 titles. (usually)

Titles here, abstracts below them:

1. How Companies Are Embracing a New Business Paradigm That Enhances Profits, People and the Environment, May/June 2004
2. A Low Cost Environmentally Benign CO2 Based Hydrometallurgical Process, June 2004
3. Biobased Resin as a Toughening Agent for Biocomposites, May 2004
4. NEC Succeeds in Development of Flame-Resistant Bioplastic, April 2004
5. Today's Materials Favor Mold Growth, February 2004
6. Pesticides and Parkinson Disease, July 2004
7. Passing Along Pesticides, April 2004
8. Medical-Tubing Manufacturer Looks to PVC Alternative, February 2004
9. Providing Unique Solutions with a New Pigment Chemistry, January 2004
10. New Challenges for U.S. Semiconductor Industry, Winter 2004
11. Fuel Cells Minus Membranes, March 2004

1. TITLE How Companies Are Embracing a New Business Paradigm That Enhances Profits, People and the Environment
AUTHOR Savitz, Andrew W.
SOURCE New England’s Environment, May/June 2004, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 1-5
ABSTRACT Sustainability is a buzzword, in the tradition of business buzzwords that have signaled fundamental changes in the corporate landscape. But this one may herald a more powerful and permanent change than total quality management, business process re-engineering, the Balanced Scorecard and Six Sigma put together. Sustainability has the potential not only to increase profitability and reduce business risk, but to restore the environment, improve the economy and enhance the lives of people and communities all over the world. Call it aligning shareholder value with societal value, sustainability is about finding new ways to do well by doing good. Scoff if you will, but 300 companies that comprise the Dow Jones Sustainability Index have out-performed the stock market since 1999, the year the DJSI was created.

2. TITLE A Low Cost Environmentally Benign CO2 Based Hydrometallurgical Process
AUTHOR Stallone, Kevin B.; Bonner, Francis J.
SOURCE Green Chemistry, June 2004, vol. 6, no. 6, pp. 267-270
ABSTRACT Green process technologies involving the use of liquid and supercritical carbon dioxide have shown much promise as sustainable
extraction and reaction media in many applications such as homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, nanotechnology, polymer synthesis, organic transformations, and the hydrometallurgical processing of zinc. Commercialization of these technologies has been limited by the high capital equipment and utility costs of CO2 based chemical processes. Incorporation of CO2-philic groups such as perfluoroethers, perfluoroalkyls, perfluoracrylates, and siloxanes in molecules has led to organic materials capable of transporting otherwise insoluble polar and organometallic compounds into carbon dioxide at relatively moderate pressures. Combining solvating extractants and carbon dioxide has shown promise in commercial and developmental zinc recovery operations; however, transport of the metal species into carbon dioxide has been limited by the solubility of the charged organometallic compounds formed. Here we show that the use of a CO2 soluble counterion such as perfluorocarboxylic acid will enhance the solubility of organometallic compounds in carbon dioxide provided the molecules are designed to strike a balance between low cohesional energy and high free volume. Following these simple thermodynamic rules, we have identified CO2 soluble organometallic complexes that readily dissolve in carbon dioxide at a low pressure and temperature of 860 psi and 25 degrees C, respectively. Even though this study focuses on the design of highly CO2 soluble organometallic compounds for hydrometallurgical processes, we surmise that our guidelines can be employed for the development of CO2-philic compounds useful in applications such as catalysis, synthesis of nanoparticles, and organic synthesis in general.

3. TITLE Biobased Resin as a Toughening Agent for Biocomposites
AUTHOR Mehta, G.; Mohanty, A.K.; Misra, M.; Drzal, L.T.
SOURCE Green Chemistry, May 2004, vol. 6, no. 5, pp. 254-258
ABSTRACT Biocomposites can be designed and engineered from plant bio-fibres and a blend of unsaturated polyester resin and derivatized vegetable oil to replace existing glass fibre-polyester composites for use in housing applications. Natural fibre composites (biocomposites) would provide environmental gains, reduced energy consumption, lighter weight, insulation and sound absorption properties, thus providing many beneficial additions to the American Advanced Housing program. Biocomposites were made using a non-woven fibre mat (90% Hemp fibre with 10% thermoplastic polyester binder) as reinforcement, and unsaturated polyester (UPE) resin as well as blends of UPE and functionalized vegetable oils as the polymer matrix. All composites were made with 30% volume fraction of fibre, which was optimized earlier. The structure-property relationships of this system as well as the thermo-mechanical properties of these composites were measured. The notched Izod impact strength of biocomposites form biobased resin blends of UPE and functionalized vegetable oil and industrial hemp fibre mate are enhanced by 90% as compared to that of the pure UPE-industrial hemp the fibre mat composites. The initial tests also show an improvement in the tensile properties of the composite as a result of the incorporation of the derivatized vegetable oil. The morphological changes of the matrix and composites have been analyzed using electron microscopy.

4. TITLE NEC Succeeds in Development of Flame-Resistant Bioplastic
SOURCE Modern Plastics, Vol. 81, No. 4, April, 2004, p. 60
ABSTRACT NEC Corp. (Tokyo) has developed flame-retardant biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) resin rated at UL94 5V and UL94 V-0/1.6mm that does not contain halogenated phosphorus-based flame retardants. The flame retardant is a special metal hydroxide that absorbs heat during ignition.; The material's heat resistance, processability, and strength are said to be comparable to those of fiber-reinforced polycarbonate. Impact strength, for example, is 65 J/m compared to 50 for PC. The physical properties of the bioplastic are enhanced by use of special additives. General electronic products such as personal computers and TVs require standards higher than V-1. Special products that generate heat at high temperature, such as projectors, require a UL rating of 5V. NEC plans to start using the bioplastic in its electronic products within two years. NEC Corp., www.nec.co.jp/eco/en/index.html (full text)

5. TITLE Today's Materials Favor Mold Growth
AUTHOR Dalton, Louisa Wray
SOURCE Chemical & Engineering News, February 16, 2004, vol. 82, no. 7, pp. 60-61
ABSTRACT Water damage is intrinsically tied to indoor mold growth. And how buildings are constructed today contributes to the potential for damp spaces, says James Holland, a director of the Indoor Environmental Institute, a not-for-profit corporation in Sacramento, CA. The energy crisis of the 1970s, Holland explains, led to a surge of energy-efficient building construction. And energy-efficient homes, he adds, have less natural ventilation and "reduced drying potential." Buildings need to breathe. Very few buildings anymore have natural ventilation where you can open a window and let out the moisture. In addition, the building materials have changed. Builders are using more recycled materials, which are often a composite mix of wood fibers held together with adhesives. Mold grows easily on the adhesives as well as on the wood fibers (cellulose) that have been broken down and are not protected by intact cell walls as they would be in solid lumber.

6. TITLE Pesticides and Parkinson Disease
AUTHOR Twombly, Renee
SOURCE Environmental Health Perspectives, July 2004, vol. 112, no. 10, p. A548
ABSTRACT In support of the theory that the most common form of Parkinson Disease (PD) may result to some degree from exposure to environmental toxicants, researchers at Emory University have identified a mechanism of toxicity linking the pesticide rotenone to the same kind of cell damage that is associated with PD. Experiments in both cell culture and rats demonstrated that the insecticide, derived form natural compounds and often used in organic gardening and farming, reproduced many of the pathological features of PD, including progressive damage to neurons in the brain's basal ganglia that are vital to transmission of dopamine.

7. TITLE Passing Along Pesticides
AUTHOR Hood, Ernie
SOURCE Environmental Health Perspectives, April 2004, vol. 112, no. 5, pp. 631-635
ABSTRACT Parental exposure to pesticides may contribute to childhood cancer risk. Through the Agricultural Health Study, a prospective study of pesticide applicators in Iowa and North Carolina, we examined childhood cancer risk and associations with parental pesticide application. Identifying information for 17,357 children of Iowa pesticide applicators was provided by parents via questionnaires and matched against the Iowa Cancer Registry. Fifty incident childhood cancers were identified. Risk of all childhood cancers combined was increased. Risk of all lymphomas combined was also increased, as was risk of Hodgkin's lymphoma. We used logistic regression to explore associations between self-reported parental pesticide application practices and childhood cancer risk. No association was detected between frequency of parental pesticide application and childhood cancer risk. An increased risk of cancer was detected among children whose fathers did not use chemically resistant gloves compared with children whose fathers used gloves. Of 16 specific pesticides used by fathers prenatally, odds ratios were increased for aldrin, dichlorvos, and ethyl dipropylthiocarbamate. However, these results were based on small numbers and not supported by prior biologic evidence. Identification of excess lymphoma risk suggest that farm exposures including pesticides may play a role in the etiology of childhood lymphoma.

8. TITLE Medical-Tubing Manufacturer Looks to PVC Alternative
SOURCE Plastics Engineering, February 2004, vol. 60, no. 2, p. 8
ABSTRACT The continued debate on the safety of phthalate plasticizers has led to the creation of materials suitable to serve as alternatives to PVC. The Natvar Division of Tekni-Plex, Inc., reports that it is utilizing phthalate- free Ecdel TPE 9966 from Eastman Chemical Co. in the manufacture of its SurePath medical tubing. According to Natvar, Ecdel TPE 9966 provides the same manufacturability, performance criteria, and aesthetic requirements as PVC. The company adds that the material requires very few modifications to machinery of processes.

9. TITLE Providing Unique Solutions with a New Pigment Chemistry
AUTHOR Hatcher, Helen; Tocher, Andrew; McKenna, Mike; Lane, Larry
SOURCE Paint & Coatings Industry, January 2004, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 60-62
ABSTRACT As industries continually strive to manage their environmental impact, the way in which color targets are achieved is undergoing radical change. Increasing attention on the use of heavy metals means that color formulators are more restricted than ever before. Bright yellow, orange and red shades are particularly challenging, with preferential reformulation away from cadmium pigments and lead chromates within the plastics and surface coatings markets. While cadmium has restricted use within Europe, lead chromates carry no legislative restriction (apart from decorative paint applications). However, industries are leading the way: the consumer-related decorative and automotive paint producers have not used lead-based pigments for some years. Powder coating producers have been working on a voluntary ban on lead chromate pigments which, as of this writing, should be in place by year end 2003. Customers are facing the challenge of matching traditional color targets with alternative pigment systems, while remaining competitive and protecting their margins. Inevitably, the attractive bright shades are the most difficult to reformulate, since heavy metal formulations often come hand in hand with color brilliance, technical performance and ease of use.

10. TITLE New Challenges for U.S. Semiconductor Industry
AUTHOR Spencer, William J.
SOURCE Issues in Science and Technology, Winter 2004, vol. XX, no. 2, pp. 79-86
ABSTRACT The United States faces a growing threat to its leadership of the world semiconductor industry. A combination of market forces and foreign industrial policies is creating powerful incentives to shift new chip production offshore. If this trend continues, the U.S. lead in chip manufacturing, equipment, and design may well erode, with important and unpleasant consequences for U.S. productivity growth and, ultimately, the country's economic and military security. To address this challenge, U.S. industry and the government need to cooperate to determine their response. As challenges tied to the industry's move toward ever-smaller dimensions have intensified, governments in Asia and Europe have moved vigorously to coordinate and fund research in both product and process technologies. The scale of these efforts is unprecedented. A recent U.S. National Research Council report, Securing the Future, identified 16 major government-sponsored initiatives at the national and regional level, a number of them receiving more than $100 million annually in support. Some have been inspired by the success of SEMATECH, the formerly U.S.-only consortium of semiconductor device makers widely credited with helping to pull the U.S. industry out of its tailspin in the late 1980s. What is odd is that although governments abroad have embraced consortia modeled on SEMATECH as a means of supporting national and regional industries, today the United States has no comparable publicly supported effort, even as the technological hurdles faced by this enabling industry continue to grow.

11. TITLE Fuel Cells Minus Membranes
AUTHOR Jacoby, Mitch
SOURCE Chemical & Engineering News, Vol. 82, No. 13, March 29, 2004, p. 7
ABSTRACT A key component of common fuel cells - the membrane that isolates the fuel from the oxidizer - has been eliminated in a new fuel-cell design that uses microfluidic effects to separate the reagents. The design simplifies the electrochemical devices and may lead to new types of fuel cells that are free from the problems that typically bedevil membrane-based power systems. The membrane that is found in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells serves as a barrier to prevent the fuel and the oxidizer from mixing without generating electricity. Ideally, electrons and protons from a fuel are liberated at a catalyst-coated anode and travel via separate routes to a cathode where they react with an oxidizer. Protons migrate through an electrolyte medium - the membrane - while electrons travel through an external circuit to provide electrical power.

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This page updated Thursday December 15 2005