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METHODS FOR EVALUATING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF GREEN PROCESSES
Citation:
Smith*, R L. AND M A. Gonzalez*. METHODS FOR EVALUATING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF GREEN PROCESSES. Chapter ., Barbosa-Povoa, A., Matos, H. (ed.), Computer-Aided Chemical Engineering - 18. Elsevier Science BV, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 18:1135-1140, (2004).
Impact/Purpose:
to present information
Description:
A methodology, called GREENSCOPE (Gauging Reaction Effectiveness for the ENvironmental Sustainability of Chemistries with a multi-Objective Process Evaluator), has been developed in the U.S. EPA's Office of Research and Development to directly compare the sustainability of processes that employ various chemistries or technologies. Evaluations using the method answer two questions: is an alternative green (i.e., lower environmental and energy burdens) and is it sustainable? For evaluating sustainability, methods are being developed in four areas, called the four E's: Efficiency, Environment, Energy and Economics. This paper represents the first descriptions of the evaluation methods for GREENSCOPE, including an example for the oxidation of toluene.