A Brief Note on Green Chemistry-The Alternative Tool

Green chemistry is characterised by the use of environmentally friendly and mild reagents such as sound waves, microwaves, sunlight, and enzymes in its experiments and research.

In the natural world, these reagents are not harmful. 

Microwave-assisted photochemical reactions have been successfully conducted in recent years with the use of microwave apparatus.

Sound waves, rather than microwaves, are also utilised in the performance of specific chemical reactions that have been identified.

It is fairly obvious that when the ongoing attempts to improve green chemistry are put into effect, the pollution-free space will be the assured present that you will receive.

Furthermore, Green Chemistry can be defined as the manufacturing process that lowers the amount of pollutants present in the environment. It is inevitable that byproducts will be generated during any of the operations, and if these byproducts are not properly utilised, they will contribute to environmental degradation. 

These methods are prohibitively expensive only if there is no use made of the waste products.

The disposal and generation of waste appear to be an unprofitable operation. 

Green Chemistry is concerned with the use of scientific knowledge to the reduction of harmful substances through the use of developmental activities.

When discussing chemical processes, it is important to remember that if all of the chemical reactants are converted into helpful products, then there will be no chemical waste produced. 

As a result, our personal environment will be completely free of any type of pollution.

Applications of Green chemistry

When it comes to chemical products, green chemistry is applied diagonally throughout their whole life cycle, including its manufacture, use, design, and eventual disposal.

It is extremely beneficial in the avoidance of pollution at the molecular level, it provides creative scientific solutions, and it lowers the negative effects of chemical products on persons and the environment. 

Green chemistry is becoming increasingly popular. 

There are 12 principles of green chemistry (Prevent waste, Maximise atom economy, Design less hazardous chemical synthesis, Design safer chemicals and products, Use safer solvents and reaction conditions and Increase energy efficiency etc.). 

Green chemistry is essential in the pharmaceutical industry because it allows for the development of novel drug delivery mechanisms that are less hazardous and more beneficial, as well as effective with the least amount of side effects, which could benefit millions of patients.

Dry cleaning of clothes

Dry cleaning refers to any cleaning procedure for garments and textiles that does not involve the use of water as a solvent.

Dry cleaning still entails the use of liquid, but the clothing are soaked in a water-free liquid solvent called tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene), which is known in the industry as “perc,” and is the most extensively used solvent in the business. 

1-Bromopropane and petroleum spirits are two alternatives to formaldehyde.

Generally speaking, natural fibres can be washed in water, but some synthetics (e.g., viscose), react badly with water and must be dry cleaned.

Bleaching of Paper

Green chemistry is the use of new, less harmful chemicals for bleaching paper, which reduces toxicity and waste while increasing efficiency. 

Examination of the effects of green bleaching chemicals used prior to traditional bleaching sequences on pulp and paper characteristics and the formation of pollutants during bleaching are the focus of this study. 

Additionally, the use of oxygen prior to bleaching reduced the amount of bleaching chemical used and enhanced the optical qualities of pulp and paper, especially increasing the whiteness by 2.3 units and decreasing the P.C. number by 22-34 percent. 

When compared to the use of traditional bleaching chemicals, the use of xylanase enzyme prior to bleaching reduced the total dissolved solids (TDS), colour, and AOX in the bleaching filtrate by 10-11, 5-6, and 9-12 percent, respectively. 

Additionally, the use of the xylanase enzyme prior to bleaching helped to lower the brightness reversion of pulp by 4–7%. 

When used in the pulp and paper industry, green chemistry methods enhanced the characteristics of pulp and paper by reducing the usage of conventional bleaching chemicals and the generation of pollutants during the bleaching process of pulp.

Conclusion

Green chemistry, also known as environmentally benign chemistry or sustainable chemistry, is a type of chemistry that is friendly to the environment. 

The definition of green chemistry proposed by scientists Paul Anastas and John Warner, who described green chemistry as the creation of chemical products and processes that decrease or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous compounds, is perhaps the most frequently accepted definition. 

Green chemistry is the term used to describe the substitution of hazardous chemicals with more ecologically friendly ingredients in the manufacturing, usage, and disposal of consumer products. 

Sustainable green chemistry aims to reduce pollution and negative environmental impacts associated with industrial waste and product disposal by incorporating more environmentally friendly chemicals into the design and manufacturing processes.