SURFACTANTS renewable supply is a challenge . Currently there is no coherent or established process to demonstrate cradle-to-grave product stewardship . Two techniques can quantify improvements in the environmental footprints of ‘ environmentally friendly ’ products : the use of quantitative biodegradation and the renewable carbon index ( RCI ). These tools enjoy the acceptance of the technical community and can be used in tandem to indicate the fate and origin of the carbon comprising a given carbon-based product such as a biobased surfactant . The testing is available around the world in a timely manner and at affordable costs . With the large technical commitment of the surfactant manufacturing industry , these techniques are poised to contribute quickly to the industry . To date , the industry has emphasised fate . In particular , the OECD protocols are well accepted for defining differing conditions of biodegradation . They measure mass loss due to biodegradation , but , more importantly , the tests can yield relative rates of biodegradation . For example , the OECD 301B protocol often used in the petroleum industry designates chemicals that achieve a carbon mass loss of at least 60 % after 28 days in the aerobic aqueous solution as ‘ readily biodegradable ’. There are benefits and deficiencies to the exclusive use of this technique for claims regarding responsible , sustainable product supply . Biodegradation provides excellent insight into the coincidence in time of the product service time to the product lifetime . If companies seek to indicate the longevity of the product after use , these analyses allow all stakeholders a glimpse into that aspect of the product . And , of course , the test indicates the amount of product residuum after use . However , this test alone fails to communicate the origin of the carbon that successfully degrades . Thus , a combined approach of assessing origin and fate is a necessary obligation of product stewardship .
Leveraging RCI
Integrity Biochem ( IBC ) assesses the carbon signature of its biobased surfactants like TegraSurf * using the RCI . RCI uses carbon isotopes to distinguish modern carbon sources from ancient sources . Ancient carbon stores from petroleum are readily distinguished from the modern plant-derived sources of carbon . The ASTM D6866 protocol measures the
14
C / 12 C ratio to assess the age of the carbon source . Carbon age dating has been used in many applications and awaits development as a primary tool in sustainable chemical supply . It is based on the geologically brief life of the 14 C isotope , which occurs at less than 0.1 % after 57,000 years . Since oil and gas were produced from burial temperature and pressure regimes over millions of years ago , those carbon signatures are depleted of 14 C and are readily discernable . Additionally , the process can be risk-managed by manufacturers by simply estimating the number of biobased carbons and divide by the total number of carbons , assuming the molecular structure is well understood . The relevance of this approach ties directly into the use of modern carbon sources and moves the discussion towards ‘ net zero carbon ’. If the goal of a supplier and customer is to use products that do not add ancient carbon back to the modern carbon cycle , the RCI can be used to assess the shift to more renewable carbon sources . As an example , TegraSurf enjoys a high RCI ( 70-90 %). From these
data , all stakeholders can assume that it contains a high percentage of carbon atoms from natural sources . As companies seek to manage the carbon budget of their product portfolio , trends in nominal and relative renewable carbon can be measured as a function of mass or volume over time .
Managing origin & fate
In conclusion , the surfactant industry is positioned to participate fully in the high growth markets for its products . Environmentally responsible biosurfactants and biobased surfactants both offer sustainably supplied , high-performance alternatives to non-renewable based products . The industry can begin to achieve this by incorporating biobased surfactants into its portfolio and assuming the obligation of simultaneously determining the nature of the origin and fate of its products . It can begin to assume credible leadership by assuming carbon budget management over a product ’ s lifetime . Tools exist for the industry to couple long-standing performance benchmarks to new ESG benchmarks . Managing both the origin and fate of the product is recommended as an essential requirement for modern carbon product stewardship . A biobased surfactant portfolio is less accretive and aligns with a net zero strategy that consumers can access on a global scale . •
* - TegraSurf is a registered trademark of Integrity Biochem .
Reference :
1 : Surfactants Market by Type ( Anionic , Non-Ionic , Cationic , and Amphoteric ), Application ( Home Care , Personal Care , Industrial & Institutional Cleaning , Textile , Elastomers & Plastics , Agrochemicals , and Food & Beverage ), Region - Global Forecast to 2025
Dr Charles R . Landis ,
CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
INTEGRITY BIOCHEM k + 1 817 402 0444 J ibcpr @ wyecomm . com j www . integritybiochem . com
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