Manufacturing of organic chemicals has, historically, been largely dependent on petroleum feedstocks, a finite resource which is becoming increasingly expensive and is in need of renewable replacements. Green chemistry is helping to drive forward the uptake of renewable resources as a substitute for fossil feedstocks and to move towards a more circular economy approach in resource utilisation. [1]
Learning Objectives
By the end of this module you should:
- Understand the need to change the current sources of raw materials;
- Understand the different types of renewable materials available to us;
and be able to:
- Define what a platform molecule is;
- Describe the main components of biomass.
