Green Industrial Engineering for Sustainable Development

1. Introduction Structure and characteristics of the food and pharmaceutical industry. Review of the chemistry of organic and biological molecules of interest in the food and biotechnology industry. Relationship between composition and chemical-physical characteristics of the food. Food raw materials. Conservability and conservation processes. Additives. Critical analysis of some food industry processes: starch production, extraction, refining and hydrogenation of oils and fats. Fat derivatives. Management issues of the food industry: environment, health and safety. Environmental impact indicators. Chemicals and risk. REACH regulation. 2. Definitions Green Chemistry, Green Engineering, and Sustainability. Chemical and process principles and metrics. Eco-efficiency and sustainability indicators. Energy intensity. Exercises for the calculation of sustainability and risk indicators. 3. Highly sustainable processes. Wastes and by-products of a process or chemical transformation. Examples of chemical processes and sustainable products. Process intensification and its potential advantages: technologies and techniques used for process intensification. Use of light, gravitational fields, microwaves, electric fields, acoustic energy. AOP (Advanced Oxidation Process) for water and air purification. 4. Solvents, catalysts and reagents Green solvents and choice strategy. No solvent processes: catalysis, microwaves, ultrasounds, supported liquid films. Ionic liquids: structure, physical and potential properties in sustainable industrial processes. Inorganic solvents (Water and supercritical CO2). Catalysis and catalyst choice strategy: homogeneous, heterogeneous, phase transfer, biocatalysis, photocatalysis. 5. Production from raw renewable materials for the chemical industry Renewable sources and reuse of products. Types and composition of biomass. Conversion strategies. Biomass for high added value chemical products. 6. Biotechnology Fundamentals of a biotechnological process. Bioreactors and fermenters. Industrial applications of fermentation processes: production of bioproteins and production of primary and secondary metabolites. Production of chemical intermediates. Biodepuration of liquid, solid and gaseous effluents, and bioremediation. Enzyme technology and industrial applications: biocatalysis for the pharmaceutical industry and production of fine chemicals, biomimetic catalysis. Treatment and immobilization of enzymes. Separation of soluble and insoluble products, final stages of purification. Integration of reaction and separation stages. 7. Examples of sustainable industrial processes Production of caprolactam, adipic acid, acetic acid, maleic anhydride, propylene oxide, hydroquinone, ibuprofen, PLA.

Students should have a solid foundation in general chemistry and organic chemistry, including knowledge of molecular structure, chemical reactions, and basic principles of thermodynamics and kinetics.

Lecture slides Reference texts: 1. Concepción Jiménez-González, David J. C. Constable - Green Chemistry and Engineering_ A Practical Design Approach-Wiley (2011) 2. Shijie Liu - Bioprocess Engineering_Kinetics, Sustainability and Reactor Design - Elsevier (2020)

Recommended attendance, but not mandatory

Objective To assess the student's (or group’s) ability to:1) Critically analyze a real industrial process (chemical, food, pharmaceutical, or biotechnological); 2) Propose improvements and sustainable solutions in line with the principles of Green Chemistry and Sustainable Engineering, considering environmental, energy, and economic impacts. Project Structure 1. Selection of the Case Study: the student (or group) selects a real industrial process from a list provided or agrees on an alternative with the instructor. 2. Analysis of the Current Process: 1) technical description of the process: raw materials, reagents, operating conditions, mass and energy flows; 2) Impact assessment: energy consumption, waste generation, use of solvents and catalysts, chemical risk, and HSE (Health, Safety, Environment) considerations. 3. Calculation of Indicators: quantitative assessment of environmental and energy impacts using sustainability metrics such as: Energy intensity, E-factor, Atom economy, Process yield 4. Final Presentation: submission of an oral presentation or poster and participation in a critical discussion with the instructor in class.

The course consists of lectures and practical exercises. During the lectures, fundamental theoretical concepts related to green chemistry, sustainability of industrial processes, innovative technologies, and biotechnological applications will be presented and discussed in depth. The exercises focus on the practical application of the acquired knowledge: calculating sustainability indicators, critically analyzing real industrial processes, and designing sustainable solutions. Exercises include individual and group activities, with guided discussion and feedback from the instructor. At the end of the course, students will present a final project that integrates both theoretical and practical skills developed throughout the course.