Petrochemical Solvents Research Articles

Advances and challenges in the fractionation of edible oils and fats through supercritical fluid processing.

Petrochemical solvents are widely used for the extraction and fractionation of biomolecules from edible oils and fats at an industrial scale. However, owing to its safety concerns, toxicity, price fluctuations, and sustainability, alternative solvents and technologies have been actively explored in recent years. Technologies, such as ultrasound and microwave-assisted extraction, supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, supercritical fluid fractionation, and sub-critical water extraction, and solvents, like ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents, are reported for extraction and fractionation of biomolecules. Among them, supercritical carbon dioxide extraction and fractionation are some of the most promising green technologies with the potential to replace petrochemical-based conventional techniques. The addition of cosolvents, such as water, ethanol, and acetone, improves the extraction of amphiphilic and polar compounds from edible oils and fats. Supercritical fluid processing has diverse applications, including concentration of solutes, selective separation of desired molecules, and separation of undesirable compounds from the feed material. Temperature, pressure, particle size, porosity, flow rate, solvent-to-feed ratio, density, viscosity, diffusivity, solubility, partition coefficient, and separation factor are the fundamental factors governing the extraction and fractionation of desired biomolecules from lipids. Supercritical fluids stand alone compared to conventional fluids, because of their tunable solvent properties. Overall, it is to be noted that supercritical fluid-based methods have lots of scope to replace conventional solvent-based methods and progress toward the creation of sustainable food-processing techniques. This review critically evaluates the parameters responsible for the extraction and fractionation of biomolecules from edible oils and fats under supercritical conditions.

Ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene micro‐ribbon fibers gel spun using orange terpenes

AbstractToxic, hazardous petrochemical solvents are commonly used for industrial‐scale ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber production, but orange terpenes, a byproduct of orange fruit production, present a bio‐derived, sustainable alternative. In this work, fine UHMWPE fibers were spun using orange terpenes as the spin solvent, hot‐drawn at a draw ratio of 5:1, investigated for their morphology, microstructure, and thermal and mechanical properties. The resulting fibers exhibited a flat, micro‐ribbon cross‐section, which is highly desirable for achieving high fiber volume fractions in UHMWPE‐fiber reinforced composites. After drawing, the fibers possessed 4× greater breaking tenacity than any previously published studies on UHMWPE fibers spun using orange terpenes with a tenacity of 8.6 cN/dtex and tensile modulus of 229.2 cN/dtex. Microstructural analysis via differential scanning calorimetry and X‐ray diffraction revealed that the hot drawing process significantly increased molecular orientation, but crystallinity decreased due to crystallite melting during drawing. Therefore, the mechanical properties of these fibers may be significantly improved with optimization of the fiber drawing process. This work establishes the strong potential of orange terpenes as an environmentally‐friendly alternative solvent for UHMWPE gel spinning and sets a foundation for future parametric optimization of the spinning and drawing of these fibers.Highlights Micro‐ribbon ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene fibers were prepared using bio‐solvent orange terpenes. Flat profile enables tight packing, aspect ratio maintained after drawing. Drawn fibers were 4× stronger than any previous work with orange terpenes. Near‐melt drawing reduced crystallinity, improved molecular alignment.

Sustainable tandem acylation/Diels-Alder reaction toward versatile tricyclic epoxyisoindole-7-carboxylic acids in renewable green solvents.

Tandem Diels-Alder reactions are often used for the straightforward formation of complex natural compounds and the fused polycyclic systems contained in their precursors. In the second step of this reaction, regio- and stereochemically controlled intramolecular cyclization leads to the formation of versatile nitrogen-containing tricyclic systems. However, these useful organic transformations are usually carried out in highly toxic organic solvents such as benzene, toluene, chloroform, etc. Despite recent efforts by 'green chemists', synthetic chemists still use these traditional toxic organic solvents in many of their reactions, even though safer alternatives are available. However, in addition to the harmful effects of these petrochemical solvents on the environment, the prediction that their resources will run out in the near future has led 'green chemists' to explore solvents that can be derived from renewable resources and used effectively in various organic transformations. In this context, we have shown for the first time that the 100% atom-economical tandem Diels-Alder reaction between aminofuranes and maleic anhydride can be carried out successfully in vegetable oils and waxes. The reaction was successfully carried out in sunflower seed oil, olive oil, oleic acid and lauryl myristate under mild reaction conditions. A series of epoxyisoindole-7-carboxylic acid and bisepoxyisoindole-7-carboxylic acids were obtained in good yields after a practical isolation procedure. The results obtained in this study demonstrate the potential of vegetable oils and their renewable materials to provide a reaction medium that is more sustainable than conventional organic solvents in cascade Diels-Alder reactions and can be used repeatedly without significant degradation. These materials also allow the reaction to be completed in less time, with less energy consumption and higher yields.

APPLICATION OF VEGETABLE OILS AS NATURAL, GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE SOLVENTS FOR EXTRACTION OF PLANT MATERIALS: STUDY OF PHYTOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND CHEMICAL PROFILING OF VARIOUS OLEO-EXTRACTS OF GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA

In the last decade there is a growing interest in application of green and more friendly environment solvents in both industrial and academia sectors due to various environmental concerns. Vegetable oils has been used as effective natural non-toxic and environment-friendly solvents for extraction of various classes of phytochemical constituents from different herbs. In the present study, various edible vegetable oils like palm oil, rice bran oil, sesame oil and sunflower oil were used for preparation of oleoextract of a medicinal plant Glycyrrhiza glabra, commonly known as Licorice. The resulting extracts were analyzed by HPTLC. Determination of Total Phenolic Contents (TPC) and Total Flavonoid Contents (TFC) was carried out by UV-Vis spectrophotometry method for standardization of the oleo-extracts of the herb. The HPTLC fingerprint showed presence of licorice components and phenolics and flavonoids in various oleo-extracts of the herb. So the oils exhibited satisfactory solvent effects with capability of extracting various phytochemicals from licorice and can be a used as a greener, safer and alternative approach to petrochemical solvents for herbal drug extraction and enrichment of phytoconstituents.

Circa signs another Cyrene customer

Circa Group has agreed to supply the chemical distributor Oqema with several thousand metric tons per year of its dihydrolevoglucosenone solvent, to be made in a plant set to open in late 2023 in Carling Saint-Avold, France. The solvent, sold as Cyrene, is derived from cellulose and intended to replace petrochemical solvents such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. With similar deals to supply Will & Co., Merck KGaA, and Dichem , Circa says it now has reservation commitments for over 5,000 metric tons of Cyrene per year.

Green Extraction of Carotenoids from Fruit and Vegetable Byproducts: A Review.

Carotenoids are characterized by a wide range of health-promoting properties. For example, they support the immune system and wound healing process and protect against UV radiation’s harmful effects. Therefore, they are used in the food industry and cosmetics, animal feed, and pharmaceuticals. The main sources of carotenoids are the edible and non-edible parts of fruit and vegetables. Therefore, the extraction of bioactive substances from the by-products of vegetable and fruit processing can greatly reduce food waste. This article describes the latest methods for the extraction of carotenoids from fruit and vegetable byproducts, such as solvent-free extraction—which avoids the costs and risks associated with the use of petrochemical solvents, reduces the impact on the external environment, and additionally increases the purity of the extract—or green extraction using ultrasound and microwaves, which enables a significant improvement in process efficiency and reduction in extraction time. Another method is supercritical extraction with CO2, an ideal supercritical fluid that is non-toxic, inexpensive, readily available, and easily removable from the product, with a high penetration capacity.

Biomass Valorization Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents: What's New in France?

With the growing interest in more environmentally friendly solvents and processes, the introduction of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NaDES) as low cost, non-toxic and biodegradable solvents represent a new opportunity for green and sustainable chemistry. Thanks to their remarkable advantages, NaDES are now arousing growing interest in many fields of research such as food, health, cosmetics and biofuels. Around the world, NaDES are seen as a promising alternative to commonly used petrochemical solvents. The objective of this review is to draw up a panorama of the existing skills on NaDES in French laboratories and industries for the valuation of natural products. This review therefore focuses on current applications, skills and perspectives, in order to analyze the place of French research in the use of NaDES for the valorization of biomass since 2015.

A holistic review on application of green solvents and replacement study for conventional solvents

The knowledge of green chemistry is instrumental in reducing the harmful and toxicity of the environment. The current environment demands that conventionally used petrochemical solvents should be replaced with the recently developed less harmful and less toxic green solvents. The potential applications of green chemical as solvents are required to study based on the green chemistry principles and the separation of solvents. In this review paper, the application of green chemicals was described for five green solvents such as cyclopentyl methyl ether (CPME), 2-methyl tetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF), propylene carbonate, 1,3-propanediol, and ethyl lactate. The replacement study of conventional petrochemical solvents with these green solvents was discussed here. Based on the comparative studies, the green chemicals were found to be high potential solvents to replaced tetrahydrofuran (THF), dichloromethane (DCM), 1,4-dioxane, and diethyl ether in chemical industry.

Orange peel waste valorisation through limonene extraction using bio-based solvents

Orange peel waste (OPW) can be an effective feedstock for extraction of natural bioactive components such as limonene, a high value-added chemical broadly exploited for food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industrial applications. Extraction of limonene from OPW has been conventionally performed via solvent extraction using hexane, a hazardous petrochemical solvent currently restricted under international regulations. In this work, we have conducted a comparative assessment of the performance of a variety of green solvents for sustainable valorisation of OPW through limonene extraction. In particular, cyclopentyl methyl ether (CPME), ethyl lactate (EL), isopropyl alcohol (IPA), polyethylene glycol 300 (PEG 300), isopropyl acetate (IAc), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), 2-methyl-tetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF) and ethyl acetate (EAc) have been evaluated as hexane replacement for the recovery of limonene from OPW. Initially, a preliminary solvent screening was carried out using the COnductor-like Screening MOdel for Real Solvents (COSMO-RS) to estimate the solubility of limonene in the proposed solvents and rank their theoretical extraction performance. Afterwards, experimental studies were performed to determine the limonene extraction yields and optimize the operating conditions (temperature, time and solvent load) for limonene recovery from OPW using the various solvents, as confirmed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis. Overall, results support that CPME and 2-MeTHF bio-based solvents significantly outperform the benchmark petrochemical solvent hexane by increasing limonene extraction yields up to 80% and 40% respectively at optimum operating conditions. Moreover, recovery and reuse of these solvents in consecutive extraction cycles was successfully accomplished, while scanning electron microscopy analysis (SEM) suggests that solvent effects on biomass structure disruption could be beneficial for further bioprocessing.

Effect of composition and water content on physicochemical properties of choline chloride-boric acid low-melting mixtures

Deep eutectic solvents are potential alternatives to volatile petrochemical solvents because they are comparatively inexpensive and easy to prepare. Further, the melting point of eutectic solvents may drop remarkably when mixing two components, the hydrogen bond donor and acceptor, together. A systematic study of these mixtures can foster the development of new design solvents for numerous industrial applications. This study presents a detailed characterization and effect of water on low-melting mixtures consisting of choline chloride and boric acid. The results indicate that a eutectic point occurred in 1:1 ratio, with a melting point of 21 °C. In all mixtures, viscosities showed non-Newtonian behaviour. The findings suggest a specific amount of water can reduce viscosity, density, energy of activation, and acidity of these mixtures. Additionally, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray Diffractometer were used to characterize the mixtures. The results suggest that the coordination of boron changed as the amount of choline chloride and water increased.

Life cycle assessment of producing emulsion-templated porous materials from Kraft black liquor – comparison of a vegetable oil and a petrochemical solvent

Including bio-sources as raw materials in a process has been widely studied to provide a positive environmental approach but it should not be the only parameter considered for greener concepts in various industries. By performing a life cycle assessment at an early stage, each phase of a given process can be analysed to identify the overall improvement of environmental efficiency. A life cycle assessment comparing two methods of preparing porous polymers from Kraft black liquor was carried out at lab-scale. The purpose of this study was to identify efficient and sustainable methods of porous materials production by determining the sources of environmental burdens. Castor oil and 1,2-dichloroethane were found to be the best solvents to produce stable black liquor emulsions. The results showed that neither of them performed the best in all environmental impact categories studied, however several trade-offs arose. Indeed, the use of castor oil in the process might be a starting point to lower global warming and acidification potential at a loss of other environmental benefits. In the case of 1,2-dichloroethane, a recycling technique was established and seemed to be a promising option in terms of environmental benefit.

Carbon Mapping an Essential Tool for Auto Industry

Sustainability is always top priority in most of the premium and responsible coating companies since the industry deals with raw materials, which are largely derived from fossil fuels. Almost as much as 60 to 70 % of the ingredients required in manufacturing coatings are linked to a petroleum-based source. Even the colours used, barring a few, have their origin in the petrochemical chain. Most conventional coatings are in liquid form and contain approximately 30 to 40 % of petrochemical solvents, which are also called diluents/ thinners. The main purpose of these solvents is to make coatings thin enough to apply on the substrate through dipping or through sprays. Once the application is over, they need to evaporate leaving behind solids firmly stuck to the surface. Vapours of these solvents are called Volatile Organic Components (VOC). A lot of research is ongoing, world over, so as to reduce the VOC content in products. The auto industry, typically, has a wide ecosystem around its mother manufacturing units to make components and parts. Most of these units in India are small to medium in scale and size, with ordinary to semi-sophisticated paint application lines. The paint cost is usually around 1 to 2 % of the total cost of the automotive finished good and hence is a ‘C’ category consideration for the automotive purchaser. Since colour, finish and aesthetics is the series of important choices that a customer of the auto industry makes, paint purchase would have, probably ‘A’ category importance for the manufacturer. Most paints leave behind a certain degree of residue either in the collection line or in the booth, apart from the VOC generated. While VOC gets evaporated through the oven/ heating chambers, residues become hazardous wastes, which are incinerated. Sustainability theory is centred on how well we manage our resources to minimise the waste. It is same as CARBON MAPPING AN ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR AUTO INDUSTRY SHANKAR M RANGANATHAN, Purchase Manager, Decorative Paints, India & South Asia, AkzoNobel GUEST COMMENTARY

Trace Elements and Oxidative Stress Levels in the Blood of Painters in Lagos, Nigeria: Occupational Survey and Health Concern

Adverse effects attributed to exposure to paints are currently a concern because of the continued widespread use of paint containing trace elements. Thus, occupational survey amongst painters in Lagos and determination of trace elements and oxidative stress parameters were carried out. Descriptive cross-sectional survey was done using a standardized questionnaire to obtain job safety-related information. Forty-eight percent of the painters were aware of hazards associated with painting and 52% of these workers were aware of the necessary precautionary measures during painting. There were no significant differences (p ≥ 0.05) between the levels of trace elements in the blood of painters and the control subjects. However, there was a significance increase (p ≤ 0.0001) in the level of malondialdehyde and a decrease (p ≤ 0.001) in the levels of reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase of the painters compared to the control. An increase in oxidative stress parameters may not only be due to trace element concentrations, but also the painters' exposure to some petrochemical solvents during mixing of paints.

Separation of isopropyl alcohol–toluene mixtures by pervaporation using poly(vinyl alcohol) membrane

The application of pervaporation for the removal of volatile organic compound has been fascinating for the last few years. This is due to the increasing level of petrochemical solvents in the environment. In this work performance of poly(vinyl alcohol) membrane was studied for the separation of isopropyl alcohol–toluene mixtures by pervaporation. Alcohol-aromatic mixtures are difficult to separate using conventional methods and pervaporation has been a promising technology in this case. Pervaporation properties of poly(vinyl alcohol) membrane for isopropyl alcohol–toluene mixtures were studied for feeds in composition of 10–40wt. % toluene at different temperatures (i.e., 35–50°C) and different pressures (i.e., 4–16psi). For understanding membrane morphology Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopic studies were performed. Membrane performance was studied by calculating flux, selectivity and pervaporation separation index. The maximum toluene content of 78% in the permeate was obtained at optimum conditions, i.e., 12psi applied pressure, 40°C temperature and 10wt. % toluene in feed solution. The flux increased with increasing amount of toluene in the feed, but selectivity decreased reasonably.

Mapping and Multivariate Analysis for a Rapid Evaluation of New Green Solvents Characteristics and Efficiency

Current regulations require the substitution of toxic solvents by safer ones. Succinic acid diesters, which are among promising bio-based candidates, have been compared to petrochemical solvents through two complementary approaches. The first one deals with a prediction of solvents dissolution power based on Hansen Solubility Parameters (HSP). HSP values obtained with the model developed by Stefanis-Panayiotou showed good agreement with experimental miscibility maps. The second one explores the physicochemical properties with multivariate statistical methods. Principal Components Analysis and Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering led to a partition of green solvents into clusters together with toxic solvents, suggesting favourable substitutions in further applications.

Pervaporative studies using polyimide‐filled PDMS membrane

AbstractThe application of pervaporation (PV) to the removal of volatile organic from aqueous solutions has become very interesting in the last few years. It is caused by the increasing level of compounds, such as petrochemical solvents (benzene, toluene, and xylenes) or chlorinated solvents (trichloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene), which are polluting the natural environment. In this work, effects of polyimide (PI) (prepared by direct polycondensation of dianhydride and diamine followed by thermal cyclization of polyamic acid) filler on PV properties of poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) have been studied. PDMS membrane filled with PI was used for the separation of benzene (Bz) and toluene (Tol) from the diluted aqueous solution and the results were compared with the neat PDMS membrane of similar thickness. The PDMS‐PI membrane showed normalized flux (J′) upto 1.2 kg μm/m2h for Bz and 1.48 kg μm/m2h for Tol and selectivity of organics varies from 7.3 to 3.2 for Bz and 8.9 to 2.8 for Tol with increasing concentration of organics. Concentration of PI filler in PDMS varied 5–25% w/w. PI filler increases thermal as well as mechanical stability of filled PDMS membranes. PDMS membrane filled with 25% PI was chosen for the pervaporation studies. The membranes were characterized by FTIR, thermogravimetric analyser and scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical strength of PDMS filled with 25% w/w PI (SPI‐25) membrane was found to be 2.7 MPa. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010

A comprehensive environmental assessment of petrochemical solvent production

Organic solvents are used in large quantities in the chemical, metal and electronics industries as well as in many consumer products, such as coatings or paints, and are therefore among the most important chemicals. The petrochemical production of organic solvents is a relevant environmental issue because fossil resources are needed (crude oil and natural gas), synthesis processes are energy-intensive and cause considerable amounts of emissions. So far, comprehensive data on the environmental impact are rather scarce. The aim of this paper is to therefore present a systematical environmental assessment of the main petrochemical solvent production routes using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method. Fifty organic solvents were selected covering the most important representatives from the various chemical groups (e.g., alcohols, esters, ketones). To conduct the LCA, 40 new Life Cycle Inventories (LCI) were established and existing LCI were improved. The petrochemical solvent production was structured into four production routes. In these production routes, the single chemical unit processes (e.g. esterification, carbonylation or hydrogenation) were analyzed in order to determine characteristic environmental impacts. The four solvent production routes including the unit processes and intermediates are presented. Additionally, energy profiles of these production routes are shown using the Cumulative Primary Energy Demand (CED) as an indicator for the environmental impact. The results were cross-checked with the Global Warming Potential and the Eco-indicator 99 method and good correlations were found. Processes that show high environmental impacts are the dehydration of butylene glycol to tetrahydrofuran, the carbonylation of methanol to methyl formate, the hydrogenation of acetone to methyl isobutyl ketone, and the Reppe synthesis of formaldehyd/acetylene to butylene glycol. Based on the energy profiles, ranges of environmental impacts are determined for all unit processes. On the one hand, esterification and alkylation processes cause high CED values because complex ancillaries are needed and hydroformylation and carbonylation processes are energy-intensive. On the other hand, in hydration, hydrogenation, hydrolysis, and oxidation processes, ancillaries with low CED are added to the chemical structure that result in low CED ranges for these unit processes. Dehydrogenation and molecular sieve separation processes seem to be energy efficient and no ancillaries are required. Therefore, these unit processes cause the lowest CED values. Subject of further research in this field should be the environmental analysis of further process steps that include the presented unit processes and a subsequent statistical analysis in order to derive reliable data ranges for all unit processes. Such statistically robust ranges could be used in the approximation of missing life-cycle inventory data of other chemical products and intermediates.

NMR shielding and a thermodynamic study of the effect of environmental exposure to petrochemical solvent on DPPC, an important component of lung surfactant

The chemical and petrochemical industries are the major air polluters. Millions of workers are exposed to toxic chemicals on the job, and it is becoming more toxic, causing much damage to respiratory system, today. One of the main components of lung alveoli is a surfactant. DPPC (Dipalmitolphosphatidylcholine) is the predominant lipid component in the lung surfactant, which is responsible for lowering surface tension in alveoli. In this article, we used an approximate model and ab initio computations to describe interactions between DPPC and some chemical solvents, such as benzene, toluene, heptane, acetone, chloroform, ether, and ethanol, which cause lung injuries and lead to respiratory distress such as ARDS. The effect of these solvents on the conformation and disordering of the DPPC head group was investigated by calculations at the Hatree-Fock level using the 6–31G basis set with the Onsager continuum solvation, GAIO, and frequency models. The simulation model was confirmed by accurate NMR measurements as concerns conformational energy. Water can be the most suitable solvent for DPPC. Furthermore, this study shows that ethanol has the most destructive effect on the conformation and lipid disorder of the DPPC head group of the lung surfactant in our model. Our finding will be useful for detecting the dysfunction of DPPC in the lung surfactant caused by acute or chronic exposures to air toxics from petrochemical organic solvent emission source and chronic alcohol consumption, which may lead to ARDS.

Preparation and applying the membranes with carbon black to pervaporation of toluene from the diluted aqueous solutions

The application of pervaporation (PV) to the removal of volatile organic (VOC) from the aqueous solutions has become very interesting in the last few years. It is caused by the increasing level of the compounds such as petrochemical solvents (benzene, toluene, and xylenes) or chlorinated solvents (trichloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene) in the natural environment. The aim of this work is to apply the membranes with carbon black as a filler to pervaporation (PV) of toluene from the diluted aqueous solution. In the research polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite membranes, PDMS and PEBA (polyether-block-polyamide) membranes filled with carbon black were used. The membranes were prepared in a laboratory scale especially for this purpose. Both PEBA and PDMS membranes show excellent properties to separate toluene from the water, however, toluene solubility in the PDMS membrane was better, it could be observed that the removal of this compound from the feed was better when this membrane was used. In consequence the process selectivity increases and better concentration of toluene on the permeate side can be obtained. The influence of the membrane filler on the total flux, toluene flux and process selectivity was also determined. In some cases total flux as well as toluene flux decrease for the membranes with the filler comparing to those without the filler.

Le marché des agrosolvants

Today three series of regulations have a direct impact on reducing the consumption of petrochemical solvents: these are directive 1999/13/EC aimed at reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) due to industrial uses of solvents, and the directives on dangerous substances (67/548/EEC) and on dangerous goods (1999/48/EC) amended in 2002 that pertain mainly to chlorinated solvents (for example, trichloroethylene) and aromatics. The use of molecules derived from agriculture is an attractive alternative, both for agricultural production and in terms of environmental constraints. Companies in France are increasingly interested in biosolvents, with research programmes that receive funding from ADEME (via AGRICE) and are supported by several research laboratories and technical institutes. Three classes of biosolvents possess the technical characteristics that enable them to replace petrochemical solvents: vegetable oil esters (oilseed rape, sunflower, soy); esters of organic acids obtained by fermentation (acetic, citric, gluconic, lactic and succinic acid); ethanol and terpenes, in particular terpene alcohols that are not considered to be VOCs (steam pressure < 10 Pa at 293.15 K). Overall, biosolvents have indubitable advantages. They possess high solvent capacity and low volatility, and are non-inflammable, biodegradable and non-toxic for the environment. They present no health risks, and are favourably rated for the impact classes “non-renewable primary energy” and “greenhouse effect”. Depending on the degree of product maturity, the main application sectors for biosolvents are printing inks, plant protection products, manual cold surface cleansing, paints and detergents.