PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Chemicals are an essential part of European Union citizens’ daily lives, and the EU chemicals' sector is also a major strategic sector for the EU. However, chemicals can pose a severe threat to the environment and health. Toxic chemicals represent about 62% of total chemical production in the EU. Several specific phosphorus derivatives are used in a wide range of applications, including pesticides, flame retardants, plastics, childcare products and pharmaceuticals. Although there is no conclusive data on their toxicity for human health and the environment, their production can involve chemical intermediaries (such as specific ammines) that need to be treated and recovered, or phenol derivatives, which are all categorised as highly toxic. Additionally, wastewater produced in the process needs to be treated and neutralised.
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE TRIALKYL project would demonstrate a more sustainable and efficient process for the production of such compounds. The new process would avoid the use of toxic chemicals and would not produce contaminated wastewater because water use is largely avoided. The new process would also use less energy and generates by-products that are useful for other sectors such as agriculture.
RESULTS
The LIFE TRIALKYL project demonstrated the technical feasibility of an innovative continuous process for the production of trialkyl phosphites (TMPi) that will benefit the environment and human health.
The project process is highly sustainable and efficient, producing a yield of more than 80% at a purity level of more than 95%. It moreover avoids the production of hazardous intermediaries and by-products (tertiary amines and phenols derivatives) and the use of toxic chemicals for wastewater treatment (NaOH and chlorinated solvents).
The team carried out a Life Cycle Assessment to allow a comparison with the conventional method of production. The project approach reduces energy consumption by 93% (64.6 MJ/kg TMPi compared to 901.6 MJ/kg TMPi and has 90% lower global warming potential (3.41 kg CO2 eq/kg TMPi compared to 52.91 kg CO2 eq/kg TMPi. Water depletion potential is also 62% reduced (16.4 m3/kg TMPi vs. 43.6 m3/kg TMPi), with the avoidance of wastewater production (1.7 m3 wastewater per tonne TMPi)
Analysis also highlighted the socio-economic benefits associated with the project’s approach, despite the initial cost of constructing new production plant. Specific market analysis showed the demand for phenol-free TMPi, confirming the potential for replicating the project. Indeed, the expected reduction of production costs can increase the competitiveness of the sector.
Finally, the project contributed to the implementation of REACH Directives and the EU Regulation on chemicals and their safe use (Directive 2006/1907/EC) thanks to the reduction of toxic chemicals and the use of simple precursors. The project also complies with the Decision 2011/383/EU regarding the ban of not readily biodegradable quaternary ammonium salts, since the TRIALKYL reaction provides a NH4Cl by-product that can be used in both the agro-chemistry and chemical industry.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report (see "Read more" section).
