Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Biobased Product Markets – Part II


In a previous blog (Biobased Product Markets – Part I; May 29, 2018 – read below), I wrote about the need for city procurement departments to provide data on the carbon dioxide emission reductions that the departments have obtained through the cities’ use of biobased products.

Many, perhaps most, biobased products available for purchase by city procurement departments (and other customers of biobased products) are based upon the research and product development of chemical companies.  Here are some of the biobased products that have been developed by chemical companies:


when used
how used
chemical company
product function
cleaning
various
DowDupont
cleaner solvents
cleaning
various
Eastman
disposable wipe fibers
cleaning
various
Henkel
surfactants
cleaning
various
Kaneka
surfactants
construction
asphalt
ADM
additives
construction
asphalt
Arkema
additives
construction
asphalt
Cargill
additives
construction
asphalt
Kraton
additives
construction
concrete
DowDupont
sealants
construction
fixtures
Ashland
resins
construction
insulation
Convestro
foam
construction
paint
PPG
additives, resins
construction
timber
Convestro
resins/fibers
construction
various
DowDupont
adhesives/sealants
indoor interiors
carpets
Rennovia
nylon
indoor interiors
chairs
BASF/Corbion
polyurethane foam
indoor interiors
chairs
Cargill
polyurethane foam
indoor interiors
chairs
Covestro
polyurethane foam
indoor interiors
chairs
DowDupont
polyurethane foam
indoor interiors
furniture
Covestro
coating
indoor interiors
walls
Ashland
plywood/particle board
landscaping
gardens
Acme-Hardesty
herbicides
landscaping
gardens
Marrone Bio Innovation
herbicides
landscaping
gardens
Mitsui
herbicides
office
packaging
Acme-Hardesty
plastics
office
packaging
Mitsubishi
plastics
vehicles
body
Arkema
plastics
vehicles
body
DowDupont
plastics
vehicles
body
DSM
plastics
vehicles
body
Teijin
plastics
vehicles
coatings
 BASF Covestro
hardener
vehicles
interiors
BASF
polyurethane foam
vehicles
tires
DowDupont Goodyear
bio isoprene
work clothes
various
Archroma
various
work clothes
various
Arkema
various
work clothes
various
BASF
polyamides
work clothes
various
DowDupont
various
work clothes
various
Virent
polyester


A 2015 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) report (click here to read the report – PDF file) provides details on the biobased products marketplace in the United States, including the Federal Government’s procurement program for buying biobased products.  Although the report indicates that key environmental benefits of the manufacture and use of biobased products are the reduction in fossil fuel use and associated greenhouse gas emissions, amounts of these benefits and reductions are not available.

In Part I of this two-part series (see above for reference to Part I), I indicated the lack of measured results for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions caused by the biobased product use of the biggest US city procurement departments.   It seems to me that this lack is missing a huge opportunity to obtain useful data on how well cities are doing in reducing carbon dioxide emissions (estimates are that the world’s cities cause 70% of carbon dioxide emissions).  As indicated by the 2015 USDA report, referenced above, such data is not available in the literature.   Perhaps if such data was available, the data would lead to more innovation and a significant reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.


Friday, June 1, 2018

Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert – May 2018


The purpose of this blog is to identify chemical and metal shortages reported on the Internet.  The sources of the information reported here are primarily news releases issued on the Internet.  The issue period of the news releases is May 2018.

Section I below lists those chemicals and metals that were on the previous month’s Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert list and continue to have news releases indicating they are in short supply.  Click here to read the April 2018 Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert list.

Section II lists the new chemicals and metals (not on the April alert).  Also provided is some explanation for the shortage and geographical information.  This blog attempts to list only actual shortage situations – those shortages that are being experienced during the period covered by the news releases.  Chemicals and metals identified in news releases as only being in danger of being in short supply status are not listed.

Section I.  

None
     
Section II.   Shortages Reported in May not found on the Previous Month’s List

Acetic acid: United States, Asia; supply not keeping up with demand
Hydrogen peroxide: Pakistan; production not keeping up with demand
Photoinitiators used with inks: Europe; supply not keeping up with demand
Vinyl acetate monomer: United States, Europe; production not keeping up with demand

Reasons for Section II shortages can be broadly categorized as: 

1.  Mining not keeping up with demand: none
2.  Production not keeping up with demand: hydrogen peroxide; vinyl acetate monomer
3.  Government regulations: none
4.  Sources no longer available: none
5.  Insufficient imports:  none
6.  Supply not keeping up with demand:  acetic acid; photoinitiators used with inks