CHAPTER 2: Green Solubility for Coatings and Adhesives

Much of the science behind adhesion, adhesives and coatings involves solvency and compatibility. Naïve attempts to introduce greener alternatives can prove to be the opposite of sustainable: precious resources such as time, energy and chemicals can be wasted if solvency and compatibility are not controlled rationally. In this chapter, three solubility tools are used to show how it is possible to make rational progress towards greener formulations (“green” is used as a vague generic word covering “sustainable”, “planet-saving” etc.) using the solid foundations of thermodynamics to avoid approaches that are guaranteed to fail. The three approaches are outlined in principle then explored in practice, with cautionary tales of the unnecessary wastefulness of many so-called green projects, along with specific examples of how the three tools can be used to avoid such wastefulness. The approach adopted here suggests a 13th principle of green chemistry: “Just because something sounds green doesn't mean that it is green.” In other words, if there are scientific tools that can be used to arrive more quickly at a sound, green, solution (and to avoid spending resources on unsound approaches) then it is un-green not to use them.