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EVALUATING THE GREENNESS OF IONIC LIQUIDS VIA LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
Citation:
ZHANG, Y., B. BAKSHI, AND E. SAHLE-DEMESSIE. EVALUATING THE GREENNESS OF IONIC LIQUIDS VIA LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT. Presented at American Chemical Society Spring National Meeting, Atlanta, GA, March 26 - 30, 2006.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public
Description:
Ionic Liquids have been suggested as "greener" replacements to traditional solvents. However, the environmental impacts of the life cycle phases have not been studied. Such a "cradle to gate" Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for comparing the environmental impact of various solvents and processes where ILs are suggested as alternatives is the subject of this paper. The primary focus is on the Ionic Liquid, butylmethylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([Bmim][BF4]) and its use for the manufacture of cyclohexane and in a Diels-Alder reaction. These processes are compared with more traditional processes. The results of the LCA indicate that if the use of ILs permits the process to achieve higher yields, then they may be a good replacement for organic solvents. This is shown in the Diels-Alder example. But for the process that can be run without using any solvents, replacing it with a solvent-based process may not reduce the life cycle environmental impact.