SBIR Phase II: Green Solvent Mixtures as Alternatives to Environmentally Damaging and Toxic Solvents

This SBIR Phase II Project will develop software to aid formulation chemists in the replacement of environmentally damaging and toxic solvents such as those listed as hazardous air pollutants (HAP) in Section 112(b)(1) of the Clean Air Act. Phase I provided successful proof of concept for MCT's approach to use mixtures of "green" solvents that are tunable to obtain a wide range of solvent characteristics. This approach allows for the replacement of a broad spectrum of harmful solvents by using a small number of benign solvents. The system is flexible, allowing end users to control factors such as the organic functional groups present to fit their application. MCT will incorporate this method into software to guide non-specialists through the selection of solvents and optimization the mixture. MCT will collaborate with the research groups of Professors Charles Eckert and Charles Liotta at the Georgia Institute of Technology to develop a predictive model for the solubility of metal-organic compounds in organic solvents. We will perform quantitative solubility measurements on the systems initially studied in Phase I and use the resulting data to verify and improve the solubility model. The resulting solubility model will be incorporated in the solvent selection software. The recent trend towards environmentally friendly products has caused an increase in the use of green solvents in product formulations and industrial processes. Regulations governing the use of solvents classified as Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP) or as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) are forcing companies to look for alternatives to solvents presently in use. Therefore, there is an opportunity for the introduction of products that are designed to assist companies that need to reformulate products or processes that use organic solvents. The niche market for reformulation tools is estimated to fall into the $30 million range. MCT's goal is to release a software product that meets these needs within 3 years, and to gain the majority of the market share, producing revenues of $10 million over a period of 6 years. MCT will license software developed under Phase II to companies that manufacture chemicals and allied products. Solvent replacement tools can be applied to find alternative solvents almost anywhere solvents are in use, including coatings, pharmaceuticals, printing inks, toiletries, cosmetics, adhesives, household and car care, rubber and polymer manufacturing, industrial cleaning and degreasing, agrochemicals, oil seed and food extraction and dry cleaning.