Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ReSolve (REnewable SOLVEnts with high performance in application and improved toxicity profile)

Teaser

The ReSolve project aims to replace two hazardous solvents, currently used in large volumes within a number of European industries, with safer alternatives derived from non-food carbohydrates. There is an urgent need to replace these solvents due to their health and...

Summary

The ReSolve project aims to replace two hazardous solvents, currently used in large volumes within a number of European industries, with safer alternatives derived from non-food carbohydrates. There is an urgent need to replace these solvents due to their health and environmental impacts, which has resulted in increased regulation of their use. The new, safer solvents will have a wide range of applications; project ReSolve will also demonstrate their sustainability, low impact on health and high performance. The new solvents must work as well as (or better than) the ones they aim to replace, otherwise they cannot be used as a suitable substitute.

The research will affect thousands of downstream businesses and consumers, who use the products made using these solvents. The reduction in health impact is vital to the millions of European citizens that are routinely exposed to solvents as part of their job.

The solvents that the project aims to replace are toluene and NMP (N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone). They are currently used in the manufacture of various products. For example, NMP is used in the production of cleaning products, paint removers, pharmaceuticals and inks. It is used within the electronics, pharmaceutical, industrial (and household) cleaning and agrochemical industries. It is used by consumers as well as by professional workers. However it is easily absorbed through the skin and it may damage fertility or the unborn child. Therefore it has been identified as a Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) under the EU’s REACH regulation. Toluene, used in the production of products like adhesives, paints/coatings and plastics is easily inhaled. Again it is suspected to cause damage to the unborn child, may cause damage to the central nervous system and it is not allowed (<0.1% by weight) in adhesives and spray paints intended for sale to the public.

The main objectives of the project are to:

• Produce at least two new carbohydrate-based solvents to replace toluene or NMP in specific applications.
• Produce the two new solvents at a suitable volume to allow testing of the solvents in a relevant industrial application.
• Establish a new, cost-effective testing strategy to allow the rapid evaluation of the toxicological safety of any potential new solvents.
• Evaluate how the new solvents would perform in environmental and economic terms, including market uptake and costs/methods of large-scale production.

Work performed

During the first eighteen months of the project, the work was focused in the following key tasks:

• Creation of a “long list” of potential candidates that may be suitable replacements and can be made from biomass, specifically carbohydrates.
• Evaluation of the properties of the potential candidates using computer modelling and lab-scale synthesis.
• Comparison of the properties of the candidates versus the two existing solvents and/or the application requirements.
• Development of a toxicological testing platform to allow evaluation of the new solvents to ensure that they are less harmful than the two existing solvents.
• In vitro and in silico analysis of existing solvents versus novel candidates using the testing platform, to compare their toxicological properties

Over 280 potential candidates, from six possible starting materials (so called platforms), have been analysed using computer modelling. In addition, examples from each of the six platforms have been synthesised. This allows for comparison of the results from the modelling and real-life samples to evaluate the accuracy of the modelling and target the remaining project time towards the most promising options.

The adaption of existing toxicological testing to suit the challenges created by the analysis of solvents has been completed during the period. Also, the toxicological profiles of 90 current solvents, replacement candidates and starting materials originating from the ReSolve project, have been determined using this platform. The results have been used to help to select the most promising candidates to continue in the project, by highlighting those with an unfavourable toxicity profile.

Another important factor to consider when developing a replacement solvent involves how the solvent could be produced at a suitable scale, in terms of both practical and economic feasibility. Initial work used a less accurate but much more rapid way to evaluate production costs to help narrow down the list. After a list of candidates was proposed, a preliminary process design and techno-economic and environmental assessment has been made to help narrow down the list further.

The first dissemination activities took place within the period with highlights including the development of the project website, logo, roll-up banner and summary leaflet. The project was represented at the first BBI JU stakeholder event in December 2017 with a brief oral presentation plus a stand where attendees could meet project representatives and obtain the project leaflet. Project partners have attended events to present or promote the project. The Data Management and Dissemination and Exploitation Plans produced in this period will guide the project towards its communication and dissemination goals with both industry and the wider public.

Final results

One of the current solutions to the problem is to substitute the harmful solvent with something similar. Whilst in the short term this can be a possibility, it does not provide the final answer as the limited alternatives available generally have similar toxicity issues. Therefore, this route only provides a temporary delay, as the alternatives will also ultimately be added to the list of solvents to avoid.

If successful, the ReSolve project will provide two safer solvents (one replacement for each target) that have been tested in key applications to demonstrate their use. Their sustainable production from biomass will be evaluated in terms of cost and impact and target markets identified. In addition, further potential solvents will be identified and evaluated. It is unlikely that any one bio-based solvent can replace the targets in all the applications. Therefore having other options to consider for the future is essential.

Substitution of the hazardous solvents will have a major health impact in terms of the reduced exposure to harmful chemicals for both workers and the wider public. However, a key challenge will be the cost of production. Targeting an existing (or developing) industry by-product makes this more viable.

Website & more info

More info: http://www.resolve-bbi.eu.