Chemistry award announced

Chemical company Rohm and Haas (NYSE: ROH) has provided an endowment to the American Chemical Society (ACS), supporting the Award for Affordable Green Chemistry. The company, which reported sales of $8.2 billion for 2006, announced in May it would dedicate $150 million — half of its R&D budget — for sustainability efforts, including new product development, energy efficiency and process improvements.

On the heels of the announcement, Rohm and Haas introduced a nanotechnology additive designed to increase the strength of clear cornbased plastics, as well as a formaldehyde-free binder for fiberglass insulation aimed at improving indoor air quality.

The ACS award, which was announced in June, recognizes chemists for the development of economically viable processes and products that meet the ACS’s green chemistry guidelines.

“This field of green chemistry and affordable green chemistry is something of great interest to the chemical industry,” says Nelufar Mohajeri, manager of the national award program at ACS. The principles of green chemistry comprise a 12-item list developed by ACS with the premise that it’s better to prevent waste than to treat it or store it. The full set of principles covers everything from using renewable feedstock to increasing energy efficiency by running chemical processes at room temperature and pressure [see “Green gold,” Sustainable Industries, June 2005].

The American Chemical Society, a scientific organization with 160,000 members, plans to present the first $5,000 award at its spring 2009 meeting. The society is accepting nominations until Nov. 1, 2007.