Chemistry is extremely helpful as it has a wide range of applications for different purposes. It is indeed difficult to even imagine the world without chemistry and its applications like medicines. However, it is time there more attention was paid to green chemistry, also known as sustainable chemistry. It is mainly aimed at stopping or reducing the damage done to the environment. Therefore, green chemistry may include activities for reducing waste or even disposing of waste in the proper manner. Students who are given homework on this topic often look for concept of green chemistry biofuel homework answers. This field of chemistry is aimed at sustainability and stresses on the use of safe chemicals in its design and applications. Giving importance to less hazardous chemical synthesis is also important.
What makes a process greener?
There have been huge advances in the field of green chemistry over the recent years. Certain well-defined concepts have been embraced in chemical manufacturing. Any chemical process is considered to be greener if it meets some specifically defined criteria.
Among the characteristics that allows a process to be considered greener, a lot are commonsense goals. As an example, materials like chlorinated hydrocarbons should not be used in a greener chemical process. Materials that are hard to dispose and slow to break down should be avoided. A process should prefer to use more of biodegradable solvents. In a similar manner, a greener process should reduce the overall waste, produces fewer emissions of greenhouse gases and uses less amounts of energy. The term ‘E-factor’ summarizes the greenness of a process. It measures the total reagents, consumables and solvents used and divides it by the total amount of final product.
Defining green chemistry
The definition of green chemistry should definitely be a part of your concept of green chemistry biofuel homework answers. It can be defined as the design of chemical products and process that are aimed at reducing or eliminating the generation or use of hazardous substances. Green chemistry is applicable across the entire life cycle of a chemical product, which includes its manufacture, design, use and disposable.
Also, known as sustainable chemistry, it:
- Is not just applicable for a specific discipline of chemistry. Instead, it is applicable to areas.
- Tries prevent pollution at molecular level.
- Deals with the environmental problems of the world and uses innovative scientific solutions for it.
- Prevents pollution generation, thus resulting in source reduction.
- Reduces harmful impacts of chemical processes and products on the environment and human health.
- Decreases, or even eliminates the hazard from processes and products that are already existent.
- Designs processes and products for reducing intrinsic hazards.
Once you have an idea of the basic definition, you will have a better time writing your concept of green chemistry biofuel homework answers. If you still come across any problems, online homework help services are always there. Just hire these services and you will not only be able to complete your homework properly, but you will also have a better understanding of the topic.
Biofuel
With advances in green chemistry, there have even been advances in biofuels. Biofuels are the fuels that are extracted from organic material, including plant material and animal waste. These plant-based fuels come from renewable sources, which means they can be grown anywhere. Also, in comparison to fossil fuels, they have a much lower carbon emissions. These fuels also help in reducing the greenhouse effect by emitting less polluting gases. Development of such efficient fuels from sustainable sources not only helps with fighting climate change, but it can even potential transform completely the supply chain of fuels forever. Knowledge of biofuel is a must for your concept of green chemistry biofuel homework answers.
Green chemistry and pollution clean up
Green chemistry is known to reduce pollution at the source by eliminating or minimizing the hazards of chemical solvents, products and reagents. This is different from cleaning up pollution, or remediation, which involves activities like cleaning environment pills and treating waste streams. Cleaning up may including separating the hazardous materials and then treating them so that they aren’t hazardous anymore or are safe for disposal. Most activities of remediation don’t involve green chemistry. While remediation removes hazardous chemicals from environment, green chemistry tries keeping off these hazardous chemicals at the very first place.
Principles of green chemistry
If you are asked to write about the principles of green chemistry as a part of your homework, you may include the following points in your concept of green chemistry biofuel homework answers:
- Waste Prevention:
Designing of chemical syntheses for prevention of waste. No waste should be left for treating or cleaning up.
- Less Hazardous Syntheses:
Use or generation of substances with no or little toxicity to the environment and humans.
- Atom Economy Maximization:
Designing of syntheses in a way that there is a maximum proportion of starting materials in final product.
- Safe Products and Chemicals:
Designing of chemical products that are effective and do not have any toxicity.
- Safe Solvents:
Avoiding the use of separation agents, solvents and auxiliary chemicals. Using the safer ones if it’s a must.
- Avoiding Chemical Derivatives:
Derivatives are known to use extra reagents and also generate waste. So, temporary modifications like protecting groups or blocking should be avoided.
- Energy Efficiency:
Running the reactions at room pressure and temperature at any time possible.
- Use of renewable materials:
The starting materials or feedstocks that are in use should not be depletable. Instead, they should be renewable. Waste of other process or agricultural products often serves as the source for renewable feedstocks. On the other hand, fossil fuels like coal, natural gas and petroleum are examples of depletable feedstock sources.
- Avoiding Stoichiometric Reagents and Using Catalysts:
Use of catalytic reaction minimizes the waste. Catalysts are known to be effective and even small amounts may carry out one reaction multiple times.
- Real Time Analysis for Prevention of Pollution:
Including real-time process control and monitoring for minimizing or eliminating byproduct formation.
- Design of Products that degrade after use:
The chemical products designed should break down easily to harmless substances, so they do not end up accumulating in the environment.