Five win Presidential Green Chemistry Awards.(Fresh Paint)(Awards list)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the 2009 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards winners on June 22, recognizing research that can make significant contributions to pollution prevention. Judging is by an independent panel of technical experts convened by the American Chemical Society and its ACS Green Chemistry Institute. The awards are given in five categories. Two of the 2009 winners--the Academic Award and Designing Greener Chemicals award--are related to paints and coatings. Here is the complete list of winners along with a description of the research involved The Academic Award was presented to Professor Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA. Hazardous chemicals are often required in the manufacture of important polymers such as lubricants, adhesives and coatings. Matyjaszewski developed an alternative process called "Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization" for manufacturing polymers. The pro cess uses chemicals that are environmentally friendly, such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C) as a reducing agent, and requires less catalyst. The process has been licensed to manufacturers throughout the world.

The Designing Greener Chemicals Award was given to Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH, jointly with Cook Composites and Polymers Company, North Kansas City, MO for Chempol MPS Resins and Sefose Sucrose Esters Enable High-Performance Low-VOC Alkyd Paints and Coatings. Conventional oil-based "alkyd" paints provide durable, high-gloss coatings but use hazardous solvents. Procter & Gamble and Cook Composites and Polymers are developing innovative Chempol MPS paint formulations using bio-based Sefose oils to replace petroleum-based solvents. Sefose oils, made from sugar and vegetable oil, enable new highperformance alkyd paints with less than half the solvent.

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