WASHINGTON—A Daly City, Calif.-based polyurethane manufacturer is one of six winners of the 20th annual Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Hybrid Coating Technologies/Nanotech Industries won the award for developing a safer, plant-based polyurethane for use in flooring, furniture and foam insulation, the EPA said in a news release.
The Hybrid Coating technology, which is already in production, eliminates the use of isocyanates, which is the top cause of workplace asthma, according to the EPA. It also reduces costs, the agency said.
Other winners include:
• Algenol of Fort Myers, Fla., for developing a blue-green algae for the production of ethanol and other fuels;
• LanzaTech of Skokie, Ill., for developing a process that uses waste gas to produce fuels and chemicals, reducing the carbon footprint of fuel and chemical companies;
• SOLTEX of Houston, for developing a new chemical reaction process that eliminates the use of water and reduces hazardous chemicals in producing additives for lubricants and gasoline;
• Rematix of King of Prussia, Pa., for developing a process using supercritical water to break down plant material into sugars used as building blocks more cost-effectively for renewable chemicals and fuels; and;
• Prof. Eugene Chen of Colorado State University, for developing a process that uses plant-based materials in the production of renewable chemicals and liquid fuels.
The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards honor companies and scientists for turning climate risk and other environmental problems into business opportunities, spurring innovation and economic development, the EPA said.