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2011 Award Recipient Podcasts
Podcasts
- Greener Synthetic Pathways Award
- Greener Reaction Conditions Award
- Designing Greener Chemicals Award
- Small Business Award
- Academic Award
Greener Synthetic Pathways Award
- Production of Basic Chemicals from Renewable Feedstocks at Lower Cost
Audio Program (MP3): 
(1 MB, 1:03 minutes) Right-click the link to download the MP3 file.
Narrator: Dr. Richard Engler, US EPA
I'm Dr. Richard Engler of EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. Genomatica was selected as the 2011 winner of EPA's Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award in the Greener Synthetic Pathways category. The title of this project is: Production of High-Volume Chemicals from Renewable Feedstocks at Lower Cost.
Let me tell you about this award-winning technology. 1,4-Butanediol (BDO) is a high-volume chemical building block used to make many common polymers, such as spandex. Using sophisticated genetic engineering, Genomatica has developed a microbe that makes BDO by fermenting sugars. When produced at commercial scale, Genomatica's Bio-BDO will be less expensive, require about 60 percent less energy, and produce 70 percent less carbon dioxide emissions than BDO made from natural gas. Genomatica is partnering with major companies to bring Bio-BDO to the market.
Learn more about this innovation and green chemistry on our website, www.epa.gov/greenchemistry.
Read more about this innovation.
Greener Reaction Conditions Award
- NEXARTM Polymer Membrane Technology
Audio Program (MP3): (879 KB, 56 seconds) Right-click the link to download the MP3 file.
Narrator: Dr. Richard Engler, US EPA
I'm Dr. Richard Engler of EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. was selected as the 2011 winners of EPA's Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award in the Greener Reaction Conditions category. The title of this project is: NEXARTM Polymer Membrane Technology.
Let me tell you about this award-winning technology. Purification of salt water by reverse osmosis is one of the highest-volume uses of membrane filtration. Kraton has developed a family of halogen-free, high-flow, polymer membranes made using less solvent. The biggest benefits are during use: A reverse osmosis plant using NEXARTM membranes can purify hundreds of times more water than one using traditional membranes, save 70 percent in membrane costs, and save 50 percent in energy costs.
Learn more about this innovation and green chemistry on our website, www.epa.gov/greenchemistry.
Read more about this innovation.
Designing Greener Chemicals Award
- Water-based Acrylic Alkyd Technology
Audio Program (MP3): (1 MB, 1:06 minutes) Right-click the link to download the MP3 file.
Narrator: Dr. Richard Engler, US EPA
I'm Dr. Richard Engler of EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. The Sherwin-Williams Company was selected as the 2011 winner of EPA's Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award in the Designing Greener Chemicals category. The title of this project is: Water-based Acrylic Alkyd Technology.
Let me tell you about this award-winning technology. Oil-based “alkyd” paints have high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that become air pollutants as the paint dries. Previous acrylic paints contained lower VOCs, but could not match the performance of alkyds. Sherwin-Williams developed water-based acrylic alkyd paints with low VOCs that can be made from recycled soda bottle plastic (PET), acrylics, and soybean oil. These paints combine the performance benefits of alkyds and low VOC content of acrylics. In 2010, Sherwin-Williams manufactured enough of these new paints to eliminate over 800,000 pounds of VOCs.
Learn more about this innovation and green chemistry on our website, www.epa.gov/greenchemistry.
Read more about this innovation.
Small Business Award
- Integrated Production and Downstream Applications of Biobased Succinic Acid
Audio Program (MP3): (1 MB, 1:05 minutes) Right-click the link to download the MP3 file.
Narrator: Dr. Richard Engler, US EPA
I'm Dr. Richard Engler of EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. BioAmber, Inc. was selected as the 2011 winner of EPA's Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award in the Small Business category. The title of this project is: Integrated Production and Downstream Applications of Biobased Succinic Acid.
Let me tell you about this award-winning technology. Succinic acid is a true “platform molecule,” that is, a starting material for other important chemicals, but the high cost of producing succinic acid from fossil fuels has restricted its use. Now, however, BioAmber is producing succinic acid that is both renewable and lower cost by combining an E. coli biocatalyst licensed from the Department of Energy with a novel purification process. BioAmber’s process uses 60 percent less energy than succinic acid made from fossil fuels, offers a smaller carbon footprint, and costs 40 percent less.
Learn more about this innovation and green chemistry on our website, www.epa.gov/greenchemistry.
Read more about this innovation.
Academic Award
- Towards Ending Our Dependence on Organic Solvents
Audio Program (MP3): (1 MB, 1:06 minutes) Right-click the link to download the MP3 file.
Narrator: Dr. Richard Engler, US EPA
I'm Dr. Richard Engler of EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. Professor Bruce H. Lipshutz of the University of California, Santa Barbara was selected as the 2011 winner of EPA's Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award in the Academic category. The title of this project is: Towards Ending Our Dependence on Organic Solvents.
Most chemical manufacturing processes rely on organic solvents, which tend to be volatile, toxic, and flammable. Chemical manufacturers use billions of pounds of organic solvents each year, much of which becomes waste. Water itself cannot replace organic solvents as the medium for chemical reactions because many chemicals do not dissolve and do not react in water. Professor Lipshutz has designed a safe surfactant that forms tiny droplets in water. Organic chemicals dissolve in these droplets and react efficiently, allowing water to replace organic solvents.
Learn more about this innovation and green chemistry on our website, www.epa.gov/greenchemistry.
Read more about this innovation.