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Chemical Engineering Compendium

Introduction

Justifies pollution prevention on the bases of environmental protection as well as "bottom-line, business-minded thinking"; highlights educational resources to help chemical engineering faculty incorporate key pollution prevention concepts into courses. [$1.00]

Resource List

Educational tools listed include one annotated bibliography, two case studies, two books, two collections of problem sets, 19 syllabi and curricula, and six videos. Reference materials listed include 30 books, 45 reports and guides, 91 articles, seven case studies, six organizations, and 50 faculty active in pollution prevention education. [$2.50]

Annotated Bibliography

Describes 120 publications, all appear in the Resource List. [$1.50]

A Chemical Engineer's Guide to Environmental Law
and Regulation

This 100-page guide is designed to give chemical engineers a general overview of the field of environmental law. Main sections discuss (1) specific reasons why chemical engineers should understand environmental laws and regulations; (2) the roles of legislatures, administrative agencies, and courts; (3) the interaction of environmental laws at federal, state, and local levels; and (4) relevant provisions of nine federal Acts: Toxic Substances Control Act; Federal Insecticide, Rodenticide, and Fungicide Act; Occupational Safety and Health Act; Clean Air Act; Clean Water Act; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act; and Pollution Prevention Act. [$13.00]

Course Syllabi

A collection of syllabi from 17 university courses involving pollution prevention and chemical engineering. Professors include William Budd (Washington State), Robert Counce (University of Tennessee), Dale Denny, Michael Overcash, and Christine S. Grant (North Carolina State), Marvin Fleischman (University of Louisville), Neil Hutzler (Michigan Tech), David Kidd (University of Alaska- Anchorage), Robert Pojasek (Tufts University), and Margrit von Braun (University of Idaho). [$10.00]

Open-Ended Problem: "Design of a CFC-Free, Energy-Efficient Refrigerator"

This 145-page case challenges students to design a household refrigerator that uses a non-ozone-depleting refrigerant and also is energy-efficient. Include short discussions of issues related to the evolution of the refrigerator and the subsequent environmental threat. A proposed design solution leads from thermodynamic calculations to a choice of refrigerants that, when combined with the refrigerator's specifications, will meet the design requirements. Appendices include refrigerant manufacturers' data and output from a thermodynamic calculation computer program. [$15.50]

Open-Ended Problem: "Determining Mass Balances in Ford-Wixom's Phosphate Coating System"

This assignment provides students in a chemical engineering materials balance course with exposure to actual processes. Student groups are asked to (1) develop a flowchart for a plant's phosphate coating system and (2) suggest reconfigurations that would minimize the amount of waste the system generates. The students' major source of information is a multimedia tour of the Phosphate Coating System of Ford Motor Company's Wixom Assembly Plant. This tour, available on CD-ROM, shows video clips from the actual system, a short description of each of the system's 12 stages, and supplementary explanations; students can explore the system at their own pace and in any order they wish. It runs on both Macintosh and Windows systems. For the Macintosh, you'll need a Mac II or better --- a 68020 chip is the minimum; for tolerable playback, use a machine with a 68030 or higher chip, such as an LCIII, SE/30, or better. It also requires at least 8MB RAM and System 7.0.1 and QuickTime 1.5 or higher (QT does not work well with System 7.0). The IBM-PC Microsoft Windows system requirements are: a 386 machine or higher with 8MB RAM, DOS 6.0 or later, Windows 3.0 or later, QuickTime for Windows 1.1.1 or later (currently at version 2.0), and screen resolution of 640*480 or higher.
[$21.00]

Case Study: "Case A: McDonald's Environmental Strategy," "Case B1: The Clamshell Controversy," "Case B2: McDonald's Decision," and "Case C: Sustaining McDonald's Environmental Success"

Cases A and B focus on the work of a Joint Task Force developed by McDonald's Corporation and the Environmental Defense Fund, whose members addressed McDonald's solid waste management strategy and the question of whether to replace polystyrene packaging with paperwrap. Case C examines the company's reaction to public concern about the sustainability of beef. Included are a teaching note as well as notes on life cycle analysis and solid waste issues. [$11.00]

Case Study: "Agent Regeneration and Hazardous Waste Minimization --- The IBM Corporation"

This 12-page case analyzes IBM's search for innovative solutions to a complex operational/environmental problem in a chemical etching process at its Endicott, NY, facility. Decision analysis of the alternatives is central to the case. Includes a teaching note. [$1.50]
(Cross-listed in Operations Management section) J

Case Study: "Degreaser Replacement at Ford Motor Company's Climate Control Division"

This case analyzes Ford's pilot study of aqueous degreaser units as an alternative to trichloroethylene (TCE). Includes discussion questions and problem sets. [$2.50]

Video: "McDonald's/EDF Environmental Task Force"

This 16-minute video accompanies the written case study. Robert Langert, McDonald's director of environmental affairs, and Jackie Prince, EDF staff scientist, present different perspectives on the joint project. Issues discussed include reasons for and reservations about participating, organizational goals of the project, results, and advice for others thinking of pursuing similar projects [$16.00]

Video: "Second Victory at Yorktown"

This 31-minute video examines the joint Amoco/EPA cooperative project that addressed the reduction of pollution from a petroleum refinery. As background, it explains pollution prevention, risk analysis, and decision-making; it then goes on to describe the expectations and concerns of each of the participants and finally the results of the project. The material is intended for survey courses on environmental issues, chemical and industrial engineering classes, and business classes on operations management and business law (voluntary vs. mandatory programs); it is also suitable for business managers and engineers. [$22.00]

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National Pollution Prevention Center for Higher Education
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University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1115
734/764-1412
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or send e-mail nppc@umich.edu

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last revised: June 28, 1998.