The Eastman Chemical Company has won one of the US Government’s top environmental awards for its breakthrough Eastman green biocatalytic process.
The 2009 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award, presented by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on behalf of the White House, recognises technologies that incorporate the principles of green chemistry into chemical design, manufacture and use. The Eastman green biocatalytic process uses enzymes and closely controlled conditions to make esters, eliminating the high temperature and strong acids traditionally required in their manufacture. Esters are vital building blocks in thousands of products. The cosmetic and personal care industry in North America annually consumes an estimated 50,000 metric tons of esters for a variety of uses including emollients, emulsifiers, and specialty performance ingredients. Eastman’s “gentler” process consumes less energy while making high quality products, even when beginning with sensitive starting materials. Eastman’s green biocatalytic process uses no solvents and virtually eliminates by-products, reducing the number of processing steps required for manufacture.
