Desimone, J. M. COMMERCIALIZATION OF THE CO2 TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM: NEW APPROACHES TO SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Department of Chemistry, CB #3290 Venable Hall, Univeristy of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 72599 (desimone@unc.edu)
What if the electronics industry used specially-designed photoresists that could be deposited using a spin coating process based upon liquid CO2 instead of organic solvents? What if this industry didn't have to use millions of gallons of water per day to remove sub-micron particles during the manufacture of integrated circuits and flat panel displays? Imagine polymerizing monomers in a continuous stirred tank reactor with the resulting polymers instantly dry, avoiding the trillions of BTUs needed every year to dry commercial polymers made in aqueous reaction media. Imagine a textile industry that doesn't need to use 100 lbs of water for every 1 lb of yarn that was dyed. Imagine cleaning garments in perchloroethylene and local businesses that don't need taxes on solvent use or carry mandated liability insurance policies.
The discussion will focus on the latest developments from the NSF Science & Technology Center for Environmentally Responsible Solvents and Processes.