Waste Prevention

Manufacturing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) reagents. PCR is used in research, genetic engineering, forensics, infectious disease identification, food safety, and personalized medicine. The conventional production of key chemicals for PCR tests (such as deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates, or dNTP) is hazardous, inefficient, and not atom economic. This new method for the manufacturing of dNTP consists of only three steps in a single pot, eliminating hazardous reagents and solvents such as zinc chloride, triphenyl phosphine, aldrithiol, dimethyl formamide, and dichloromethane.

Uses photothermography to produce imaging technology that uses heat for medical imaging applications. The photothermography process consists of a latent image that is initially generated from the revelation of a sensitized emulsion to suitable light energy. The image is made visible by exposing it to heat. This process produces no liquid waste and does not require chemical developers and fixing solutions. This process eliminates large amounts of toxic chemicals and waste generated in traditional chemical photographic processing.

Toner made from soy and corn biomass. This toner uses polyester, polyamide, and polyurethane resins made from soy oil, protein, and carbohydrates extracted from corn. Conventional petroleum-based toners that use synthetic resins (such as styrene acrylates and styrene butadiene) are challenging to remove from papers during recycling. While toners that facilitate the de-inking process have been developed, they are much more expensive than traditional toners. Contrarily, these soy and corn-based toners have a more competitive price.

Electricity-free mobile refrigeration technology using only sun and water. Refrigeration unit that is lightweight, easy to carry, and fully portable. Product requires no electricity and emits no greenhouse gas emissions. Uses PhaseTek™ technology; when the internal reservoir of the product is filled with any water source, the product undergoes evaporative cooling, reducing the internal storage space by 10-15 degrees Celsius. Refrigeration reduces spoilage, which reduces waste.

Soldering process that eliminates the use of wave oil and solvents by installing hoods over the solder pots to maintain an inert atmosphere over the molten solder. Conventionally, soldering involves synthetic oil, soldering fluxes, and solvent cleaning (uses large amounts of TCA and TCE). The No-Clean process eliminates the use of wave oil and soldering fluxes, consequently eliminating the need for solvent cleaning. This process reduces the environmental impact of manufacturing solid ceramic resistor networks by reducing the amount of raw materials consumed.

Higher quality quantum dots for LED screens that use much less toxic feedstock. This technology replaces the traditional centrifugation method with filtration and uses less toxic solvents. Conventional methods of producing LED screens make substantial use of toxic solvents and are inefficient. This new technology could potentially reduce the use of toxic solvents by 150,000 liters per year in the United States. This technology is also more efficient, reducing energy usage. 

Uses water and oxygen to remove photoresist and other organic contaminants in producing semiconductors and flat panel displays. Coldstrip™ uses a gas diffuser and an ozone generator. This process cleans more quickly than many chemical-based processes as it produces no solids in the water (eliminating the need for filtration) and does not require elevated temperatures. Traditionally, Piranha solutions (containing sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide) are used to produce semiconductors and flat panel displays.

Biocatalytic process for the synthesis of esters. Esters are important ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products. Traditional esters manufacturing requires strong acids and potentially hazardous solvents and produces undesirable byproducts that require energy-intensive purification. Using immobilized enzymes at mild temperatures as an alternative, Eastmen saves energy and avoids dangerous chemicals. This process produces no undesirable by-products, and the enzymes are easily removable via filtration.