Finding Potential Replacements for TRI Solvents Using the Environmental Impact of the Average Solvent

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Computational Chemistry

Background:

• Solvents significantly impact the environment through various mechanisms.
• Comparing cumulative environmental impacts of different solvents is challenging.
• Existing methods lack a unified index for comprehensive solvent impact assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a method for quantifying and comparing the cumulative environmental impact of solvents.
• To introduce the PARIS III software tool for identifying environmentally benign solvent alternatives.
• To demonstrate the application of the developed method using real-world industrial solvents.

Main Methods:

• A novel environmental index was created by combining multiple impact types.
• The PARIS III software was utilized to generate solvent mixtures mimicking original solvent behavior.
• Environmental impacts of solvent mixtures were estimated and assigned to the developed index.
• Potential replacements were identified for specific U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Toxic Release Inventory solvents.

Main Results:

• The PARIS III tool identified numerous solvent mixtures with comparable behaviors to original solvents.
• These mixtures were assigned environmental indexes, enabling direct comparison of cumulative impacts.
• Significant reductions in environmental impact were achieved through the proposed solvent replacements.
• Viable substitutes were found for carbon tetrachloride, toluene, and N-methylpyrrolidone.

Conclusions:

• The developed environmental index and PARIS III software provide a robust method for assessing and comparing solvent impacts.
• This approach facilitates the selection of industrial solvent alternatives with substantially reduced environmental footprints.
• The findings support the transition to more sustainable solvent use in industry, mitigating harmful effects.