Authors: Amanda Pay, Kaylee Anderson, Amber English, Jie Mei Chong
Mentors: Mary Alvarez
Insitution: Salt Lake Community College
Feasibility Analysis of Mixed Solvent Waste Recycling: A Green Chemistry Project
Undergraduate Research Session, Green Chemistry submission
Amanda Pay, Jai Mai Chong ACS Student Affiliate Advisors; Mary Alvarez, Ron V Valcarce, Wesley Sanders, Peter J Iles, John Flood
This research project explores the first of the 12 principals of green chemistry, waste reduction through solvent recycling. Solvents are widely recognized to be a considerable environmental concern. Many industrial chemical processes generate significant amounts of hazardous and toxic chemical waste due to solvents used to facilitate chemical reactions. The reduction of their use is one of the most important aims of green chemistry. In response to this, solvent recyclers have been created which attempt to clean and purify solvents for re-use, thus reducing the amount of solvent waste a chemical company generates. In this project we analyzed before and after samples of mixed solvent containing hexanes, ethyl acetate, and other solvents processed with a CBG biotech solvent recycler. The results were used to improve recycler settings for solvent resolution and assess the effectiveness of waste reduction using such methods.
Amanda Pay, Kaylee Anderson, Jie Mei Chong, Amber English
ACS Student Affiliate Advisors; Mary Alvarez, Ron V Valcarce, Wesley Sanders, Peter Iles, John Flood